Description

Festive stained glass cookies made with a buttery sugar cookie base and colorful melted candy centers, creating crisp, sweet cookies that are beautiful, classic, and perfect for holidays or gifting.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

8–10 colorful hard candies (such as Jolly Ranchers), crushed

1 egg white, whisked (optional)

White crystal sprinkles or coarse sugar (optional)

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Instructions

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until fully incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. If sticky, add a small amount of flour until manageable.
Divide the dough into two portions. Roll each portion to ¼-inch thickness between parchment sheets and place on baking trays.
Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Separate hard candies by color and crush into small crystal-sized pieces.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut cookie shapes and cut out centers to create windows. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets.
Fill cookie centers about three-quarters full with crushed candy.
If using, brush cookies lightly with egg white and sprinkle with crystal sugar.
Bake for 8–10 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet until candy centers set, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

Chilling the dough ensures clean cuts and minimal spreading.

Do not overfill candy centers to prevent overflow.

Avoid stacking cookies to keep candy centers intact.

Different cookie cutter shapes work well for themed occasions.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 140
Sugar: 11g
Sodium: 55mg
Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Unsaturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 20g
Fiber: 0.5g
Protein: 1.5g
Cholesterol: 25mg