Stained Glass Cookies
This festive Christmas treat features fruit candies embedded in cookie dough, which bake to create a shiny stained glass effect.
Ingredients
butter (brought to room temperature until soft enough to dent when pressed)
125g
powdered sugar (or fine granulated sugar)
50g
salt
1/8 tsp
vanilla extract
a pinch
egg white (brought to room temperature)
20g (about 1/2)
cake flour (sifted)
150g
store-bought fruit candy (to taste)
10~12
high-gluten flour (or low-gluten flour) for dusting
to taste
butter for the baking tray
to taste
Instructions
1
Making the dough
Place the butter in a stainless steel bowl and beat thoroughly with a whisk until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and salt and mix well, then add the vanilla extract. Slowly add the egg white, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
2
Mixing the dough
Sift the cake flour into the bowl again using a fine sieve. Use a rubber spatula to fold and mix from the bottom up in broad strokes until no dry flour is visible. Shape the dough into a ball and flatten it, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30–60 minutes.
3
Crushing the fruit candy
Place the fruit candy in a thick plastic bag with a layer of cloth underneath to prevent slipping. Then use a wooden mallet, hammer, or the bottom of a heavy pan to crush the candy pieces. Alternatively, use a food processor to grind the candy.
4
Rolling and cutting the dough
Lay parchment paper on the work surface and dust with anti-stick flour. Dust the rolling pin as well. Roll the dough out to about 3 mm thick, and use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
5
Punching holes and freezing
At 2–4 spots on each cookie, use a smaller cutter to stamp out small holes for the candy (make the holes a bit small because the dough will puff up during baking). For hanging holes, use a straw to punch small holes. Place the cookies along with the parchment onto a tray and freeze for about 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 170°C, then transfer the cookie dough onto a baking sheet and bake at 170°C for 10–12 minutes. Remove. Lower the oven temperature to 150°C for later use.
6
Filling with candy and baking
After the cookies have cooled slightly, fill the holes with crushed candy pieces and press firmly flat with the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven at 150°C for 3–5 minutes, then remove and place on a baking rack to cool. Note: if you move the cookies immediately at this point, the crushed candy will fall out.
