Stained Glass Cookies are a fun way to jazz up cut-out sugar cookies! Made with your favorite hard candies, these cookies are as fun to make as they are to eat.
Prep Time 45 minutesminutes
Cook Time 12 minutesminutes
Total Time 57 minutesminutes
Servings 302 1/2-INCH COOKIES
Equipment
Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet, 2-Pack,
Food processor
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
Dry measuring cups
Ingredients
1cupunsalted buttersoftened
1¼cupsugar
2eggs
½teaspoonvanilla extract
1teaspoonalmond extractoptional
3 1/2cupsflour
fruit-flavored hard candies in assorted colors
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
Unwrap each hard candy and sort by color. Using a food processor, crush each color separately and place into individual small bowls. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and beat until combined.
Slowly add the flour, stirring just until combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to form into a disk.
Roll the dough to ⅛ to ¼-inch thick and cut with lightly floured cookie cutters. Use smaller cookie cutters or a paring knife to cut "windows" in each cookie shape. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
Use a small spoon to spoon the crushed candies into the windows of each cookie.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or just until the edges barely start to turn golden.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a minimum of 5 minutes, or until the candy "glass" has set." Remove from the baking sheets to a rack to finish cooling completely.
Notes
If you do not have a food processor for crushing the candies, try placing them in zip-top bags and crushing them with a mallet or rolling pin.