Stained Glass Wreath Cookies Recipes

STAINED GLASS COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 batches and beat until just incorporated. Divide the dough in half; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Meanwhile, separate the candy by color and place each color in a separate resealable plastic bag. Crush into small pieces using a rolling pin; do not pulverize.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, lightly dust the dough with flour and roll out between 2 pieces of parchment paper until about 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate until slightly firm, about 15 minutes. Cut into shapes using 2-to-4-inch cookie cutters and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm; reroll once to cut out more cookies. Cut out shapes from the centers of the cookies using smaller cutters; fill the cut-out areas about two-thirds full with the crushed candy. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until the candy melts and the cookies are just golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

STAINED GLASS COOKIE WANDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 302 degrees F/150 degrees C. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment.
• Place the flour in a bowl or on top of a clean work surface. Add the butter and rub it through the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the center and add the sugar, eggs and vanilla if using. Gently mix to form a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Dust a work surface with flour and roll the dough to about 1 centimeter (1/2 inch) thickness. Use a large star cutter to cut out stars. Place them on the prepared baking sheets. Use a smaller star cutter to cut the middle out of the large stars. Push an oven-safe lollipop stick through the bottom of a star. Repeat with the remaining stars. Fill the middles of the stars with crushed rock candy. Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet until the candy has set hard.
• Brush the cookies with edible silver luster dust for sparkle and shimmer.

STAINED-GLASS SNOWMEN COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Roll out 1 disk on a lightly floured piece of parchment to a 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with remaining disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Using a 4-inch snowman cutter, cut out snowmen. Using a small fluted or plain round cutter and #12 Ateco pastry tip (for button holes), cut out small shapes within snowmen where you want "stained glass" to appear. Transfer snowmen to parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake 8 minutes. Fill cutouts with candy. Continue baking until cookies are firm and candies are melted, 5 to 8 minutes more. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.

STAINED-GLASS WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tint dough with food color as desired. Shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Roll out 1 disk on a lightly floured piece of parchment to a 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with remaining disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Using a 2 1/2-inch fluted round cutter, cut out rounds. Using a 3/4-inch fluted round cutter, cut out centers of cookies. Using a #12 Ateco pastry tip (for ornaments), cut out small shapes within wreaths where you want "stained glass" to appear. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake 8 minutes. Fill cutouts with candy. Continue baking until cookies are firm and candies are melted, 5 to 8 minutes more. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.

SUGARED WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tint dough with food color as desired. Shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Roll out 1 disk on a lightly floured piece of parchment to a 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with remaining disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Using a 2 1/2-inch fluted round cutter, cut out rounds. Using a 3/4-inch fluted round cutter, cut out centers of cookies. Transfer wreaths and, if desired, fluted cutouts to parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush wreaths and fluted cutouts with water, and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake until cookies are firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely. If desired, affix fluted cutouts and candies to wreaths using a dot of glaze.

STAINED GLASS WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with silicone baking pads.
• Slice dough log at 1/4-inch intervals and place onto prepared baking sheets spaced 1 inch apart.
• Press a 1-inch round cutter into the center of each cookie round. Remove the small circle of dough and replace it with a round hard candy.
• Bake in oven 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven. While still warm, make a hole at the top of each cookie with a large straw. Place baking sheet on the cooling rack and cool completely.
• When the cookies have completely cooled, use the decorative icing and evenly space 6 icing dots around the edges of each cookie. Lightly push the silver dragees into the icing dots. Allow icing to harden.
• Place the 8-inch piece of ribbon through the hole at the top and tie the ends together.
• Repeat with remaining cookies.
• You can eat your cookies or hang them as ornaments on a Christmas tree or in a window.

STAINED GLASS WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with silicone baking pads.
• Slice dough log at 1/4-inch intervals and place onto prepared baking sheets spaced 1 inch apart.
• Press a 1-inch round cutter into the center of each cookie round. Remove the small circle of dough and replace it with a round hard candy.
• Bake in the oven 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven. While still warm, make a hole at the top of each cookie with a large straw. Place baking sheet on the cooling rack and cool completely.
• When the cookies have completely cooled, use the decorative icing and evenly space 6 icing dots around the edges of each cookie. Lightly push the silver dragees into the icing dots. Allow icing to harden.
• Place the 8-inch piece of ribbon through the hole at the top and tie the ends together.
• Repeat with remaining cookies.
• You can eat your cookies or hang them as ornaments on a Christmas tree or in a window.

STAINED GLASS COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing after each addition until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and then slowly mix in the flour until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Remove the dough, press into a flat rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Cut the dough into thirds, wrap 1 piece back in the plastic wrap and return it to the refrigerator. Dust your work surface and the remaining 2 pieces of dough well with flour and roll out each to 3/16 inch with a rolling pin, moving the dough and dusting the top and bottom with additional flour if it becomes sticky. Cut out as many large stars as possible with a 4-inch star cookie cutter and place on the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps and reroll once to cut out more cookies. You should have a total of 12 stars. Cut a small star out of the middle of each large star with a 2-inch star cookie cutter and reserve for another use. (You can chill and bake the small stars separately or freeze for later.) Refrigerate the baking sheets until the dough is firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, separate the candy by color and place each color in a separate resealable plastic bag. Place a kitchen towel over the bags and crush the candy into small pieces using a rolling pin or meat mallet; do not pulverize. Fill the cut-out areas of the cookies two-thirds full with the crushed candy.
• Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until light golden brown and the candy has melted, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat the rolling, cutting, filling and baking process with the remaining piece of dough.