Stained Glass Cookies
Brighten up your holiday season with these stunning stained glass cookies, a delightful treat that combines the charm of artistry with the joy of baking. Made from a simple sugar cookie dough that holds its shape perfectly, these cookies promise to impress with their vibrant candy centers.
With no chilling required and easy-to-follow instructions, they are perfect for bakers of all skill levels. The playful shapes and colorful fillings make them a festive addition to any gathering, ensuring smiles all around.
Whether you’re looking to create unique ornaments or a sweet gift for friends and family, these stained glass cookies offer a creative outlet that’s both fun and delicious. Get ready to spread some cheer with every bite!
Stained Glass Cookies Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: The foundation of our sugar cookie dough, providing a rich, creamy base that enhances flavor and texture while ensuring the cookies maintain their delightful shape.
- Powdered Sugar: This fine sugar dissolves quickly, lending a smooth sweetness that balances the richness of the butter, creating a tender crumb that melts in your mouth.
- Egg Yolk: Adding moisture and richness, the egg yolk helps bind the ingredients together, contributing to the cookies’ soft, chewy texture while enriching the flavor profile.
- Vanilla and Almond Extracts: These extracts infuse the dough with warm, aromatic notes, elevating the overall taste and enhancing the cookies’ holiday charm.
- All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of the dough, flour provides structure and stability, ensuring each cookie holds its shape and achieves the perfect balance of softness and crunch.
- Fruit-Flavored Hard Candy: When melted, these candies create the stunning stained glass effect in the center of the cookies, adding a burst of fruity sweetness and vibrant color that delights both the eyes and the palate.
Stained Glass Cookies: Enhance Your Baking Experience
These delightful stained glass cookies not only add a burst of color to your holiday festivities but also bring joy to every bite. As you prepare to make this charming treat, here are some helpful tips, serving suggestions, and answers to frequently asked questions that will elevate your cookie-baking adventure.
Recipe Tips
1. Choose Your Candies Wisely
The type of hard candy you select can greatly influence the flavor and appearance of your stained glass cookies. Fruit-flavored candies like Jolly Ranchers are ideal, as they melt beautifully and create a vibrant, eye-catching effect. You can mix different colors to make your cookies even more festive. Just remember to crush them into pebble-sized pieces, as larger chunks may not melt properly.
2. Keep Dough Chilling to a Minimum
While this recipe doesn’t require chilling the dough, handling it gently is crucial. Overworking the dough can incorporate too much air, leading to cookies that spread rather than maintain their shape. Aim for a light touch when rolling out and cutting your cookies to preserve those beautiful shapes. If the dough gets too warm, consider refrigerating it for a short time before cutting out shapes.
3. Bake to Perfection
Timing is key when baking stained glass cookies. Keep a close eye on them while they bake; the edges should be set but not browned, and the candy in the center should be melted but not bubbling over. Once removed from the oven, let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes to firm up before transferring them to wire racks. This will prevent breakage and help maintain their stunning presentation.
What to Serve with Stained Glass Cookies
Milk or Hot Chocolate
Pair your stained glass cookies with a cold glass of milk or a steaming cup of hot chocolate. The rich flavors of chocolate complement the sweet and fruity notes of the cookies, making it a comforting treat perfect for holiday gatherings or cozy evenings at home.
Holiday Fruit Platter
Enhance your cookie spread with a colorful fruit platter. Fresh fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and sliced kiwi not only add a healthy option but also provide a beautiful visual contrast to the vibrant stained glass cookies. The natural sweetness of the fruits balances the sugar in the cookies and refreshes the palate.
Festive Tea or Coffee
Serve these cookies alongside your favorite tea or coffee. A spiced chai or peppermint tea can bring out the holiday spirit, while a rich, dark roast coffee can enhance the cookie’s sweetness. This combination is perfect for afternoon gatherings or holiday brunches with friends and family.
FAQ
1. Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the dough in advance. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before rolling out and cutting into shapes.
2. What kind of hard candy can I use?
While fruit-flavored hard candies like Jolly Ranchers are popular, feel free to experiment with other types such as Werther’s Originals or any colorful candies that can melt. Just ensure they are hard and won’t burn during baking.
3. How do I store leftover cookies?
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you want to keep them longer, consider freezing them. Just make sure to separate layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
4. Can I use gluten-free flour for this recipe?
Absolutely! You can substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Just make sure to check the blend for a binding agent, as this will help maintain the cookie’s structure and texture during baking.
Stained Glass Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract adjust to taste
- 20 pieces of fruit-flavored hard candy such as Jolly Rancher
Instructions
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, combine the unsalted butter and powdered sugar. Mix on medium-high speed just until the ingredients are blended, which should take about 30 seconds. The mixture does not need to achieve a light and fluffy texture.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and almond extract. Mix on low speed until fully incorporated, approximately 15 seconds. Gradually add half of the flour, mixing on low until combined. Incorporate the remaining flour, continuing to mix on low until a cohesive dough begins to form, roughly an additional 15 seconds.
- Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface. Knead the dough gently three to four times to create a smooth ball. Flatten it into a disc and roll it out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use an offset spatula to lift the dough off the surface before cutting out shapes.
- With a decorative cookie cutter approximately 3 inches in diameter, cut out shapes from the dough and place them onto the prepared baking sheets. Next, take a slightly smaller cookie cutter (between 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter) to cut out the centers of the larger cookie shapes. If needed, a toothpick can be used to remove the dough centers. Gather the cut-out centers and any remaining dough scraps, re-roll them on a lightly floured surface, and repeat the cutting process. Optionally, place any cut dough centers on a separate parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Unwrap the hard candies and place candies of similar colors into separate zip-top bags. Using a rolling pin, gently crush the candies inside the bag, ensuring not to grind them into a fine powder; pebble-sized pieces are preferable. Fill each hollowed cookie shape approximately two-thirds full with the crushed candy.
- Bake the cookies in the center of the preheated oven until they are set and the candy has melted, which should take about 9 to 10 minutes. For the cut-out centers, reduce the baking time to about 8 minutes. Once baked, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely, which will take an additional 15 minutes.
