Stained Glass Cookies: The Magic of Holiday Baking

Baking cookies is a cherished holiday tradition, a wonderful activity to enjoy by yourself or to create unforgettable moments with the kids. These stained glass cookies take that joy to a whole new level. They are not only amazingly delicious with their buttery shortbread base but also incredibly beautiful to behold. The secret to their stunning appearance lies in using cookie cutters: a larger one for the outer shape and a smaller one to create the window where hard candies melt into translucent “glass.”

The thin, crispy shortbread combined with the slightly chewy, colorful candy centers makes for a delightful texture and taste experience. And for an extra touch of holiday magic, you can easily poke a small hole at the top of each cookie before baking. Once cooled, simply thread a string through, and transform these edible works of art into charming ornaments to hang on your Christmas tree.

If you’re like us and can’t get enough of baking delicious treats, be sure to explore our extensive collection of cookie recipes. You’ll find a wide array of options, including comforting cinnamon cream cheese rolls, elegant sable cookies, and festive Christmas jam cookies. Each recipe is designed to bring joy and deliciousness to your kitchen.

Unveiling the Ingredients for Your Stained Glass Cookie Masterpiece

Creating these dazzling Stained Glass Cookies requires a handful of simple, readily available ingredients. The precise measurements for each can be found in the comprehensive recipe card located at the bottom of this article. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why each component is essential:

• Flour: The foundation of our delicious shortbread dough. Standard all-purpose wheat flour or patent flour works perfectly, providing the necessary structure and tender crumb.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar is used to sweeten the cookies, giving them that classic shortbread taste. It also helps in achieving a crisp texture.
• Butter: Unsalted butter is crucial. Using unsalted allows you to control the total salt content in your recipe. Ensure your butter is at room temperature for optimal creaming with the sugar, leading to a light and airy dough.
• Egg: A single large egg acts as a binder, holding the dough together, and contributes to the cookie’s rich flavor and smooth texture.
• Vanilla Extract: This adds a warm, inviting hint of vanilla flavor, complementing the buttery dough. For the best and most profound flavor, we highly recommend using natural vanilla extract. If you enjoy baking frequently, consider making your own homemade vanilla extract – it’s a rewarding project and provides a long-lasting supply of superior flavor.
• Salt: Just a touch of salt is added to balance and enhance the sweetness of the cookies, bringing out all the other flavors beautifully.
• Hard Candies: These are the stars of your “stained glass” effect! We used Napoleons in this particular recipe, but many other hard candies are suitable, such as Lifesavers, Jolly Ranchers, or any clear, brightly colored hard candy. If your candies are large, you’ll need to crush them into smaller pieces before adding them to the cookies.

Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Easy Stained Glass Cookies for the Holidays

Creating these beautiful cookies is a rewarding process, and you’ll find a fully printable recipe with a detailed step-by-step description and exact measurements in the recipe card at the very end of this blog post. Follow these instructions carefully for the best results:

1. Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, room temperature unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat these ingredients together until they are light, fluffy, and well combined – this usually takes about 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed. Next, crack in the egg and mix until it is fully incorporated into the butter mixture. Finally, gradually add the all-purpose flour. Mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated and a cohesive dough ball begins to form. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make your shortbread tough.
2. Chill the Dough for Perfect Shape: Divide your prepared dough into two equal portions. Place one portion between two sheets of parchment paper. Lightly dust the bottom parchment paper with a little flour, place the dough, flatten it slightly with your hands, then dust the top of the dough with a bit more flour before placing the second sheet of parchment paper on top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough evenly to a thickness of approximately ¼ inch (or ½ cm). This uniform thickness is key for consistent baking and to ensure your “glass” doesn’t break. Repeat this process for the second piece of dough. Transfer both flattened dough sheets (still between parchment paper) to the refrigerator and chill for at least thirty minutes. This step is crucial for preventing the cookies from spreading excessively in the oven.
3. Cut and Shape Your Cookies: Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, remove it from the refrigerator. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper. Use a large cookie cutter to cut out your desired cookie shapes from the dough. Carefully transfer these cut-out cookies onto baking trays lined with parchment paper. Now, take a smaller cookie cutter (or even a sharp knife) and gently press it into the center of each large cookie to create the “window” for your stained glass. Carefully remove the small piece of dough from the center. Don’t discard these small cut-outs! You can bake them alongside the larger cookies as delicious mini treats. Continue this process until all your dough is used.
4. First Bake & Candy Filling: Preheat your oven to 350°F (approximately 177°C) for a conventional oven, or 320°F (160°C) for a convection oven (adjusting for fan assistance). Bake the cookie dough cut-outs (without the candy yet) for about six minutes. This initial bake helps set the cookie structure. Remove the baking trays from the oven. Now it’s time for the “stained glass.” Carefully place one whole hard candy into the center hole of each cookie if they fit, or if you have larger candies, crumble them first by placing them in a sturdy plastic bag and hitting them with a rolling pin. Sprinkle about one teaspoon of crushed candy into the middle of each cookie, ensuring it fills the opening.
5. Second Bake & Cooling: Return the baking sheets to the oven and continue baking for another nine minutes. During this second bake, the hard candies will melt and spread into a beautiful, translucent “glass” in the center of each cookie. Once baked, immediately remove the baking sheet from the oven. It is absolutely essential to let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet to room temperature. The melted candy will be liquid and extremely hot when it first comes out of the oven, and it needs time to set and harden into its solid, glassy form. Attempting to move them too soon will result in broken cookies and messy candy.

These delightful stained glass cookies are wonderful on their own, but they pair exceptionally well with a warm beverage. Enjoy them with a rich Nutella Chocolate Milk for the kids, or for the adults, a cozy hot chocolate with vanilla and herbal liquor.

Pro Tips, Creative Substitutions, and Fun Variations for Stained Glass Cookies

Elevate your stained glass cookie experience with these expert tips and ideas for customization:

• Chilling is Key: To ensure your cookies maintain their perfect shape and don’t spread too much during baking, it’s absolutely vital to chill the rolled-out dough in the refrigerator for at least half an hour before cutting and baking. This firms up the butter in the dough.
• Dough Thickness Matters: Aim for a dough thickness of approximately ¼ inch (5 mm). If the dough is rolled too thin, it may lose its firmness, making it prone to breaking, and the melted candy “glass” might not set properly or could even seep out.
• Bubble Troubleshooting: Occasionally, small air bubbles can form in the melted candy. If you notice any immediately after baking, gently take a clean needle or toothpick and carefully stir through the warm, liquid “stained glass” to release the bubbles. Be quick and gentle!
• Vary Your Colors and Designs: Don’t limit yourself to just one color! Experiment with different colored candies. You can crush various colors and sprinkle them in unique patterns within the recess of each cookie for a multicolored effect. While the cookies are still warm from the oven and the candy is soft, you can also use a needle or toothpick to gently swirl the colors together, creating beautiful marbled or circular patterns.
• Add a Sugar Garnish: For an extra sparkle and a hint of sweetness on the shortbread itself, lightly brush the unbaked cookie dough (before adding candy) with a touch of water and then sprinkle fine granulated sugar over it. This creates a lovely, glistening finish.
• Create Christmas Tree Ornaments: To transform your cookies into edible tree decorations, simply prick a small hole at the top of each cookie with a thick needle or skewer right after you’ve cut the shapes and before the first bake. Once cooled and the candy has set, you can easily thread a festive ribbon or string through these holes, ready to hang on your Christmas tree.
• Waste Not, Want Not: The small cookie dough centers that you remove to create the “windows” for your stained glass? Don’t let them go to waste! Place these small cookies on the baking tray alongside the larger ones and bake them. They make for delightful bite-sized shortbread treats.

Did you make this delicious recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram! I absolutely love seeing your culinary creations and frequently share the most beautiful photos from our community! Did you enjoy this recipe? Please consider leaving a rating on the recipe card below! Your valuable feedback helps both other home cooks and me immensely.

Need more inspiration for your next baking adventure?

• You can find inspiring video recipes on my YouTube channel.
• And don’t forget to save your favorite recipes on Pinterest, making it super easy to find them again for your next baking session!

Stained Glass Cookies

Andréa