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Stained-Glass Window Cookies

I love the way these look, and you can get really creative with them! These are always a hit with kids, but you might want to warn grandma about the hard candy center before she takes a big old bite of one!

How to make Stained Glass Window Cookies

What you need:

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)

½ cup sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 ounces each red and green hard candies (I used jolly ranchers)

What to do:

Blend butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy.  Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat until incorporated.

On low speed, add flour; mix until dough comes together in a ball.  Sometimes it’s easiest to use your floured hands to make a ball.

Divide dough into 3 pieces; shape into discs.  Wrap each in plastic; refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to  2 days.

Heat oven to 375°.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Crush Candies (see picture) Keep colors separate.  You can use a food processor, or if you don’t have one—a hammer ☺ Transfer into small bowls (see picture)

Remove one piece of dough from refrigerator and knead it on a lightly floured work surface to soften.  With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8 inch to ¼ inch thick.  Cut out shaped with cookie cutter.  Place on baking sheet and cut out the center of each cookie with either a knife or another smaller cookie cutter.    Refrigerate scraps to do this over again.

Using a very small spoon, carefully fill each cutout with candy so it is resting on the parchment paper and is level with the dough.   (see picture)

Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until firm and golden.  Cool completely on baking sheets.  Repeat with the remaining dough, then chilled scraps, using fresh parchment each time.

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