Stained glass cookies are a wonderful way to create a colorful treat that can be served on a platter, or hung as an ornament on the holiday tree. Made with simple cookie dough and a mixture of hard candies, the stained glass cookie is easy to prepare. Using only a basic recipe, just about anyone can make stained glass cookies in less than thirty minutes.
One of the easiest ways to prepare to make stained glass cookies is to purchase a container of premixed cookie dough from the supermarket. Also, purchase several different colors of hard candies. If the kitchen is not already equipped with baking parchment or aluminum foil, quart size plastic bags with a secure zip top, and a rolling pin, purchase those items as well.
Allow the dough to warm to room temperature, so the substance will be easy to work with. Pinch off a small portion of dough and roll the portion into strips that are no more than a quarter inch thick. Place a section of parchment paper or foil over the flat surface of a baking sheet, and use the strips to create various shapes of cookies. The strips will form the outline of the cookie.
Empty the hard candies into several plastic bags. Make sure to use only one color in each bag. Using the rolling pin, crush the pieces of hard candy into small slivers. Keep in mind that the crushed candy should be as fine as possible. If the rolling pin does not seem to work, then wrap the plastic bag in a tea towel and strike the bag with a hammer.
Once the hard candy is pulverized, fill the openings in the outlines of the stained glass cookies. Keep in mind there is no wrong way to do this. You may want to use one color per cookie, or use two or more. Experiment by creating a few solid stained glass cookies along with some eclectic mixes. Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to ten minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven once the stained glass cookies are a light golden brown.
The cookies will need to cool thoroughly before they are lifted from the baking sheet. This will usually not take longer then a half-hour at room temperature. Gently detach the stained glass cookies from the foil or parchment with a spatula.
If the plan is to use the stained glass cookies as ornaments, be sure to use a chopstick or straw to punch a hole in the top of the dough before baking. This will make it easy to insert yarn or ribbon through the hole later and hang the ornament cookies on the holiday tree.
