Stained Glass Cookies

[JudyK]

A friend pointed out this morning that it is that time of year again, so I thought I would repost this from a few years ago. Enjoy

Stained Glass Cookies

I have been making these since I was a little kid so I don’t know who came up with the idea. I have modified it a little over the years and this is what I have found works best for me.

Betty Crocker’s Ginger Bread Boy Recipe

1/2 cup shortening                 3/4 teaspoon salt         14oz. hard candy,  
1/2 cup sugar                       1/2 teaspoon soda         different colors.
1/2 cup dark molasses           3/4 teaspoon ginger      I like the original
1/4 cup water                       1/4 teaspoon nutmeg      Jolly Ranchers.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*   1/8 teaspoon allspice

*If using self-rising flour, omit salt and soda. If using quick-mixing flour add 3 tablespoons milk.

Cream shortening and sugar. Blend in molasses, water, flour, salt, sode, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Cover; chill 2 to 3 hours.

Cover 4 cookie sheets with foil.
-You can do it with 2 cookie sheets by letting the first batch of cookies cool for 10 minutes and then pulling the foil with cookies carefully on to the table to cool for 8 hrs. Then replace the foil in the cookie sheet and make the second batch.

Crush hard candy by placing all of one color in a heavy plastic bag, like zip lock. Place the bag in the fold of a dish towel so the towel will keep the candy that escapes clean. Crush with a hammer to 1/8 inch or smaller pieces. The smaller the pieces the easier it is to fill the cookies openings. Keep the colors seperate in bowls.

Keeping most of the dough in a the refrigerator, take a small handful and roll it into stings with a 1/4 inch diameter. Form the strings into your designs. Lightly press the string design to the foil so the candy will not flow under the dough when it melts.
- I used to roll out the dough and use cookie cutters, then cut holes out of the cookie with a knife. I think that was more work.

The dough is now about 1/8 inch high on the cookie sheet. Fill the holes with the crushed candy using a small pointed spoon. The candy should be at least as high as the dough or a little higher. It melts down.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cok for 5 minutes. Take out when you first see bubbles around the edges of the candy. Don’t let it boil over. Let the cookies and candy harden on the sheet for 4 hrs. Turn the sticky cookies over and allow to harden for 4 more hours.

Makes 3+ Dozen Cookies

[JoanFrances]

thanks for reposting Judy.  Looks like a fun tradition.