GLASS COOKIES are small Christmas jewels to be eaten with the eyes before the palate. Made with a simple shortcrust pastry and a transparent heart of melted candy, they recall the handcrafted decorations hung on trees of the past, when Christmas smelled of sugar, butter and celebration.
Crispy, delicate and spectacular, these cookies are perfect to bring a touch of magic to the holiday table: they can be given in clear bags, used as place cards or hung directly on the tree thanks to the small hole at the top. The lights shine through the colored center, creating a sparkling effect that enchants adults and children alike.
Easy to prepare and customizable in a thousand shapes and colors, stained-glass cookies are a fun and creative recipe to make even with the little ones. A sweet, elegant and surprising idea that turns a few ingredients into a special moment to share during Advent.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet vanilla powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 2/3 cup butter (cold)
- 1 egg (medium at room temperature)
- hard candies
For the glass cookies you will need
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Work surface
- 1 Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters Christmas
- 1 Plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
Preparation of glass cookies
In a bowl (or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) mix the flour, sugar, vanilla powder and salt.
Add the cold butter cut into small pieces and work everything until you obtain a sandy texture.
Add the egg and quickly knead until you form a smooth dough.
Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.Roll the dough to a thickness of about 5/32–3/16 inch.
Use a large cutter (star, heart, gingerbread man, tree…) to cut the cookies.
With a smaller cutter, cut out the central window. Place the cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
If you want to hang them on the tree, make a small hole at the top with a toothpick.Chop the hard candies into a fine crumb.
Fill the center of the cookies with the candy crumbs (without overflowing the edges).Bake the glass cookies in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F for 12–14 minutes.
The candies will melt and become perfectly smooth.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking tray: the “glass” will set only when cold. Do not move the cookies until the candy window is hard.
Tips
If the center doesn’t melt well, add another pinch of crushed candy and return to the oven for 1 minute.
For a shinier effect, use transparent candies rather than opaque ones.
