Preparing recipes handed down over generations is an excellent way to feel at home during the holidays. Baking stained glass sugar cookies pulls a double win by appealing to all ages and putting a twist on Grandma’s recipe with crushed hard candy.
Donnie Mays, chef and author of the cookbook “I’ll Bake You Happy,” says there’s no need to limit yourself to one kind of candy — melted Lifesavers, crushed suckers, and even gummy bears provide enough adhesion to keep the dough together and pack a colorful punch in the cookie’s center. Better yet, streak several candy colors for a true stained glass look. That said, make sure you choose candy that works well as a flavor companion with the dough’s almond extract (or double up the vanilla extract, if you’re not an almond-flavor fan).
About the dough: Chilling it for an hour will make it easier to handle and cut out shapes. Finished cookies also freeze well — “perfect for personal use or parties,” Mays says.
For a show-stopping finish, dab granulated sugar around the cookies’ edges.
“My favorite part of making these cookies is no doubt seeing the finished product — the red and green candy just add the most gorgeous finish to such a simple sugar cookie,” Mays says.
Stained Glass Cookies recipe
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Jolly Ranchers or hard candy, crushed
Instructions
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar. Add yolks and extracts to the bowl and mix to incorporate everything. Next, mix in flour, salt, and baking powder until everything is well mixed. Form into a dough ball. (Chill the dough for an hour before cutting out the shapes to make it easier to handle.)
Roll out dough to desired thickness, using a lightly floured cookie cutter cut out cookies and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a smaller sized cookie cutter and cut out the centers of the cookies. Add crushed Jolly Ranchers or any hard candy you like to the center of each cookie.
Bake cookies at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the edges start to become golden. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool completely before removing them from the pan. Sugar the edges for an added flourish.
