Stained Glass Cookies Recipe

5 from 1 vote

These Stained Glass Cookies have a soft almond cookie with melted hard candy centers. They’re a beautiful cookie to add to your Christmas cookie plate that can be decorated or left as is.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Chilling Time2

Total Time2 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: medium-sized cookies

Calories: 167kcal

Author: The Carefree Kitchen

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
20-30 pieces crushed hard candy (Life Savers, Jolly Ranchers, or other hard candy)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Cookie Dough

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, and salt and set aside. Place room temperature butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and cream with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy—about 3 minutes. Slowly add the eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract and mix again until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl to make sure that all of the butter mixture has mixed in completely. Cover with plastic and chill in the fridge for about 2 hours (or overnight).

Baking the Stained Glass Cookies

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Sprinkle the counter and rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough on your floured surface until it is about 1/4" thick.
Cut cookies out into desired shapes, then use a smaller cookie cutter to cut out small shapes inside each cookie to make a stained glass window. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper at least 1" apart. Add the crushed candy and fill with as much candy as possible without overfilling the hole.
Bake in a preheated 325 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set and there is just a hint of golden brown color.
Let the cookies cool for about 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a countertop to cool completely. Enjoy!

Notes

Storing instructions: store in a single layer, or between parchment paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, up to 12 days in the fridge, or up to 2 months in the freezer.

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