Do Classic Sugar Cookies Make You Yawn?
The holidays are the best. There are presents and heart-warming movies with happy endings and lots and lots of baked goods. This is the time of year I pull out all the stops and bake my heart out, from tried and true family favorites to the little things I love but no one else will eat (like homemade cranberry sauce). Every year I like to try and challenge myself and bake something new and unexpected. Since we always bake and decorate sugar cookies, I thought these Stained Glass Holiday Cookies would be a great place to start and do something that no one would expect.
An unexpected mixture of cookie + candy is stunning!
Put a Little Sparkle in Your Life
I’m not going to lie, the Stained Glass Holiday Cookies are a bit of work to make. They don’t require any special skills or baking ability, but there are a number of steps so it will take some time. Also you’ll need a hammer and a lot of Jolly Ranchers. It’s also helpful to have a kid or two around who will unwrap and separate all of the Jolly Ranchers for you.
Yes, this recipe calls for a hammer. Separate your Jolly Ranchers by color, put them into a double layer of zip lock bags, and beat them into a mince.
Measure Once, Cut Twice
Again, not hard, just time consuming. After you cut out your cookie take a smaller cookie cutter (or glass or pastry tip) to punch out a piece of the interior. You could also buy a cookie cutter with the holes already included (like the ornament with multiple holes below) or with complimentary sizes (like this star). If you can get into the city I recommend NY Cake on 22nd Street in Chelsea for all baking supplies.
Just two cuts and you are done.
Fill Neatly for Perfection
You’ll need to be careful here as well. When you fill your cutouts with the crushed candy be careful to keep it within the cutout, and try not to let it spill onto the cookie dough. Use a small paint brush to gently sweep away any candy crumbs that hit the dough before it sticks or gets imbedded.
So pretty even before going in the oven!
You’ve Got This!
I have complete confidence that this recipe is within anyone’s wheelhouse to make. All you need is some time, a bit of care and, of course, a hammer! And if you find yourself fascinated by stained glass desserts, check out our Stained Glass Cake and give it a try too!
So pretty on a plate you can’t tell if they are a cookie or a decoration.
THE RECIPE: STAINED GLASS HOLIDAY COOKIES
Ingredients
1 14-ounce bag Jolly Ranchers or other fruit-flavored hard candy, separated by color and unwrapped
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
Pinch of salt
Step 1: Prepare to Bake
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 2: Prepare Candies
Separate candies by color, unwrap and place each color in a set of double-layer ziplock bags. Crush the candies with a hammer or rolling pin until granulated. Pour each color into a separate bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Prepare Cookie Dough
Beat butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer just until incorporated. Add egg and almond extract. Mix again on low speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed until dough is formed and there are no longer any streaks of butter in the mixing bowl. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a ball. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate 1 hour.
Step 5: Cut Out Cookies
Working on a well-floured surface, knead dough gently, working it with your hands to flatten into a disc. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thick sheet. Cut out your cookies with the larger cutter, then cut out interior shapes. Transfer cut out cookies to parchment-lined cookie sheets and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Step 6: Fill Cut Out Cookies with Candy
Use a spoon to fill the centers of cookies with crushed candies. Don’t fill above the surface of the cookie dough or it will spill over when baking. Use a small paint brush to gently sweep away any candy crumbs that landed on the dough
Step 7: Bake!
Bake 5-7 minutes, or until crushed candy is melted. Remove cookies from oven and carefully fill each with more crushed candy, again being careful not to over fill. Bake an additional 5 minutes, or until the newly added crushed candy is melted and smooth. Remove pan from oven and place on wire rack. Let cookies cool completely on pan and then gently move to a serving tray.
Please tell us what you think, we really want to know!
Tell us what you think!
Please comment below if you try the Stained Glass Holiday Cookies recipe and let us know how it goes! Find all of Brooklyn to the Catskills‘ recipes in the Food section of our website. We’d love to hear what you think about our other recipes too!
