Making stained glass cookies conjures up happy childhood memories for lots of people! Making these pretty cookies can become a holiday tradition in your house as well.
1/2cupcrushed Jolly Ranchers hard candiesabout 20 pieces
3cupsall-purpose flourplus more for dusting work surface
1/4teaspoonsalt
1cupunsalted buttersoftened
1cupgranulated sugar
2large eggs
1 1/2teaspoonvanilla extract
Instructions
Line baking sheets with parchment silicone baking mats.
Sort Jolly Ranchers by color then place in separate sandwich bags. Use a rolling pin or meat mallet to crush the candy into small pieces. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt, set aside.
In a separate medium bowl cream together butter and sugar until homogenous.
Add eggs to butter mixture one at a time, mixing until well combined. Mix in vanilla.
Slowly add flour mixture until dough forms and no traces of flour remain.
Wrap cookie dough in plastic wrap and and refrigerate for one hour.
Sprinkle flour on counter or large cutting board. Roll dough onto the floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out as many large shapes as you can using cookie cutters.
Place cut shapes onto prepared baking sheet. Cut a smaller piece out of the center of each cookie and remove. You can roll out the scraps and use them for more cookies.
Add crushed candies to the cut-outs to just below flush with the top of the cookie. Refrigerate sheet of cookies for 20 minutes to firm up.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake until cookies are very lightly brown and crushed candies have melted, about 10-13 minutes.
Allows cookies to cool on baking sheet until candy centers have cooled and hardened.
Notes
Use any shape large cookie cutter with a smaller cookie cutter in the center.For example, a star inside a star.Other ideas include: