Stained Glass Christmas Cookies are among the most beautiful and magical treats to prepare this season. Scenic, fragrant, and delicious, these butter cookies with a transparent heart are perfect for decorating the Christmas tree or gifting in small packages along with Christmas cookies or classic Linzer cookies.
It’s been a while since I wanted to prepare them, and finally, as the first recipe of December, I decided to make them: they are very easy and effective! The stained glass effect is achieved thanks to the crushed hard candies placed in the center of the dough. In a few minutes of baking, the candy melts, creating that magical transparent heart that enchants both adults and children.
A tip: use only hard candies (not filled) and let the cookies cool well before removing them from the baking sheet, so they remain perfect and shiny.
Prepare them too and be captivated by their Christmas charm!
Kisses, kisses
Susy!
And then also discover:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 22
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, New Year's Eve
- Energy 90.35 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 12.18 (g) of which sugars 5.36 (g)
- Proteins 1.35 (g)
- Fat 4.31 (g) of which saturated 2.72 (g)of which unsaturated 1.53 (g)
- Fibers 0.21 (g)
- Sodium 18.48 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 16 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Stained Glass Christmas Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 pod vanilla (seeds)
- 1 pinch salt
- 8 hard candies (Ambrosoli)
Useful Tools
- Cookie Cutters Christmas
- Chopper
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Preparing Stained Glass Christmas Cookies
In a large bowl, place the softened butter and sugar, then quickly mix by hand. Add the eggs, seeds from a vanilla pod, and a pinch of salt.
Add the flour and mix the dough just enough to achieve a homogeneous mixture, so the dough remains crumbly and does not overheat. Compact the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for about an hour.
After the time has passed, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut the cookies with Christmas cookie cutters and, using smaller cutters, create the central holes. I used a heart cutter and a piping tip to create the hole where the ribbon will pass for hanging them.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, crush the hard candies in a chopper, and fill the central holes with the candy powder.
Bake at 338°F in convection mode for 13-15 minutes, until the Stained Glass Christmas Cookies are lightly golden and the candies completely melted. Once baked, let them cool well before removing them from the baking sheet: this way they will remain shiny, transparent, and perfect for decorating the tree.
Storage and Useful Tips
You can store the Stained Glass Christmas Cookies in a cookie tin for up to 5 days.
👉 Use only hard candies (not filled) to achieve a transparent and brilliant glass effect.
👉 For a fragrant touch, you can add a pinch of cinnamon or orange zest to the dough.
👉 Gluten-free variant: replace the flour with a gluten-free mix for dough.
Questions and Answers
Can I use filled candies?
No, otherwise the glass effect will not work correctly
How do I get a perfect hole for hanging them?
Use a straw or the tip of a piping nozzle before baking.
Can I prepare them in advance to give as gifts?
Yes, they remain fragrant for several days and make a really cute Christmas gift idea.
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