Stained Glass Window Cookies
Transform your holiday baking with these mesmerizing Stained Glass Window Cookies, a stunning treat that tastes as good as it looks. Delicate buttery cookies are baked to perfection with vibrant, candy-colored centers that resemble miniature stained glass windows, making them the perfect edible decoration or festive dessert. Crafted from simple pantry staples like all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and unsalted butter, these cookies get their signature "window" effect from crushed hard candies, such as Jolly Ranchers or Life Savers. Ideal for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or as a creative family activity, this recipe combines artful presentation with easy-to-follow techniques. With just 30 minutes of prep and a quick bake time, you’ll have a batch of 24 dazzling cookies ready to impress. Serve them alongside a warm cup of cocoa or package them as homemade gifts—they're guaranteed to delight! Optimize your holiday dessert table with these showstopping stained glass cookies.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.25 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup assorted hard candies (such as Jolly Ranchers or Life Savers)
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using a hand mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough in half and flatten each portion into a disc. Wrap both discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
While the dough chills, separate the hard candies by color and place each color into a separate plastic bag. Crush the candies into small pieces using a rolling pin. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a large cookie cutter to cut out shapes, then use a smaller cookie cutter to cut a hole in the center of each cookie to create a window.
Place the cut-out cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between each. Fill the center hole of each cookie with a small amount of crushed candy, ensuring it is level with the dough.
Bake in the preheated oven for 7-9 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden, and the candy centers have melted completely.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The candy centers will harden as they cool.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
196 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 8.3 g | 11% | |
| Saturated Fat | 5.1 g | 26% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 29 mg | 10% | |
| Sodium | 46 mg | 2% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 28.3 g | 10% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.3 g | 1% | |
| Total Sugars | 16.6 g | ||
| Protein | 1.7 g | 3% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.2 mcg | 1% | |
| Calcium | 5 mg | 0% | |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 3% | |
| Potassium | 16 mg | 0% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
