Description
These Stained Glass Cookies are delightful sugar cookies with a colorful, melted Jolly Rancher candy center that creates a beautiful stained glass effect. Perfect for festive occasions or as charming edible decorations, these cookies combine a buttery, slightly sweet dough with vibrant candy centers for a fun and delicious treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies:
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups (382g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for dusting
Candy Center:
- Jolly Ranchers hard candies (approx. 20), separated by color and crushed into small bits
Instructions
- Prepare the Candy: Unwrap and separate the Jolly Ranchers into each color, then place them in separate small resealable bags. Crush them into small bits using a meat mallet, being careful not to crush into powder. Set aside.
- Mix the Dough: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, and salt until well combined and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then blend in vanilla extract.
- Add Flour: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour and mix until the dough is well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Chill the Dough: Transfer the dough onto a surface, shape it into a rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.
- Divide and Roll: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut into thirds. Work with one portion at a time while keeping the others chilled. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/5-inch thickness.
- Cut Out Large Stars: Use a 3.5-inch star-shaped cookie cutter to cut as many large stars as possible. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat.
- Cut Out Small Stars: Using a 1.75-inch star cutter, cut smaller stars out from the centers of the large stars to create cookie frames. Carefully remove the small star pieces—you can use a toothpick if needed. Re-roll the scrap dough to cut more shapes.
- Fill Centers with Crushed Candy: Fill the cut-out centers about 3/4 full with the crushed Jolly Rancher bits, distributing colors as desired.
- Chill the Cookies: Place the baking sheet with cookies in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes until the dough and candy centers are firm.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) during the chilling time.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookie frames are set and the candy centers have melted completely, creating the stained glass effect.
- Cool Down: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet until the candy centers have hardened and set completely.
- Repeat: Repeat the process with the remaining chilled dough portions.
- Store: Once fully cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Notes
- Use silicone baking mats instead of parchment paper to prevent sticking; some brands of parchment paper may cause cookies to stick.
- If the center piece is difficult to remove after cutting, use a toothpick to gently lift it out.
- To hang cookies with a ribbon, cut a small hole near the top of the cookie using a standard-sized plastic straw before chilling and baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approximate)
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 65mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
