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Stained Glass Cookies

Stained glass cookies with red and green candy centers shaped like stars, dusted with powdered sugar.
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Festive and fun, stained glass cookies feature buttery sugar cookie dough filled with melted hard candy centers that resemble colorful stained glass windows—perfect for holiday cookie boxes, parties, and family baking activities.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2¼ cups (281g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 15–20 unwrapped hard candies (e.g., Jolly Ranchers, Life Savers)
  • Optional: 1 egg white or 2 tbsp water
  • Optional: ⅓ cup (65g) coarse sugar or sprinkles

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar on high speed until creamy (about 2 minutes).
  3. Add egg and vanilla, then beat until combined. Scrape sides and beat again as needed.
  4. Add dry ingredients and mix on low until dough forms. If sticky, add 1 tbsp flour.
  5. Divide dough in half and roll each to ¼ inch thick between parchment sheets.
  6. Stack rolled dough, cover, and chill for 1–2 hours or up to 2 days.
  7. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
  8. Crush candies into small chunks and separate by color.
  9. Cut out large cookie shapes and smaller center cut-outs. Place on prepared baking sheets.
  10. Optional: Brush with egg white or water and sprinkle coarse sugar on top.
  11. Fill center cut-outs ¾ full with crushed candy.
  12. Bake for 12–13 minutes or until edges are lightly golden and candy is melted.
  13. Cool cookies on the sheet for 15 minutes until candy sets, then transfer to a rack.

Notes

  • Roll dough before chilling for easier handling.
  • Use clear hard candies for best stained glass effect.
  • Do not overfill candy centers—3/4 full is enough.
  • Cookies stay fresh up to 1 week at room temperature.
  • Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.
  • Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://recipeeasily.com/stained-glass-cookies-recipe/