These stained glass cookies are very scenic shortbreads, perfect for the upcoming Christmas season.
They are very easy to make with a classic shortcrust pastry and hard candies, preferably colored. You can use cutters of different sizes for the shape. I used star-shaped ones, but you might want to use round ones for an effect similar to colorful Christmas ornaments.
These cookies are perfect not only for breakfast or snack time but also as decorations for your Christmas tree.
If you have kids at home, rest assured they will be amazed.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup butter (cold)
- 1 egg (at room temperature)
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste lemon zest (or vanilla)
- a few hard candies
Tools
- 2 Cookie Cutters of different sizes
- 1 Rolling Pin with thickness guides
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Cooling Rack
- 1 Skewers wooden
Steps
To prepare the stained glass cookies, start with the shortcrust pastry.
Here’s the process, HERE, very quick, to prepare it.
Once the shortcrust has rested in the fridge, roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
Use the larger cutter to cut out the dough, and then use the smaller cutter to cut out the center of each shape.
As soon as the star-shaped cookies are ready, transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and, once done, put the entire sheet back in the fridge.
Meanwhile, while the dough is resting, take the candies, place them on a sheet of parchment paper, cover with another sheet of parchment paper, and crush them into tiny pieces using a meat tenderizer or the same rolling pin.
After at least 15 minutes of resting in the fridge, take out the baking sheet with the dough and place a teaspoon of crushed candy in the center of each star. Then, use the back of a wooden skewer to make a small hole at the tip of each star. This will allow you to thread a string through if you decide to use these cookies as Christmas ornaments.
Finally, bake the stained glass cookies in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
The cookies should not darken too much, and the candies should melt enough to cover the entire center surface of the cookie,
Once baked, place the entire sheet on a cooling rack and let the cookies cool without touching them, so the candies can solidify again to give that beautiful stained glass effect.
Once ready, you just have to decide whether to eat them, give them as gifts, or use them as decorations for your Christmas tree😉.
Storage
Stained glass cookies can be stored for several days in an airtight tin box.
Stained glass cookies can be stored for several days in an airtight tin box.
