Stained Glass Valentine Cookies

Stained Glass Cookies

I think these just might be the prettiest cookies ever. I have had this recipe filed in my recipe box for almost 4 years…a mother of one of our first grade students made them for the Valentines party at school. I thought they were beautiful and begged her for the recipe. But this is the first time I have ever made them!

These cookies are fun to eat because of the two contrasting textures–soft, chewy cookie and hard, sweet candy. However, I wouldn’t give them to very young children because of the hard candy center.

Stained Glass Valentine Cookie Recipe:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
Hard candies (I used Jolly Ranchers “Doubles” on some and YummyEarth Organic Lollipops, with the stick removed, on others)
1. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and gradually add the sugar. Beat in the egg until evenly mixed, then add the vanilla extract and salt.
2. Stir the flour into the creamed ingredients, about one third at a time, until evenly blended.
3. Divide the dough in half. Flatten each portion into a disk and seal in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. You could skip this step…it will just take a little more effort to roll the dough out once it’s been refrigerated.
4. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with Pam. Between two sheets of waxed paper lightly dusted with flour, roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper. (I have never rolled out dough this way before…but did it because that’s what my recipe says. It made the clean-up SO much easier…this is how I’ll roll out all my sugar cookies from now on!)

5. Cut out the cookies with a large cookie cutter. Use a spatula to transfer the shapes to the baking sheet, leaving about an inch between the cookies. Remove the center of the cookies with a very small cookie cutter.

6. Place a Jolly Rancher (or other hard candy) in the center of each cookie and bake until the cookies start to turn a light brown around the edges and the candy is melted, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to waxed paper covered cooling racks to cool completely.

To use the suckers, I just tapped them gently with a meat tenderizer to break it (while still in the wrapper) and then opened the wrapper and poured into the hole.

To prevent sticking, line your serving plate with waxed paper and place additional waxed paper between layers.

Aren’t they pretty? Enjoy!

23 Comments

  1. Love this. This would be perfect for my daughters birthday this summer. We always do something w/ flowers and this would make a really cool center.

  2. How GORGEOUS! I love the swirly colors. Are the centers thin and "crunchable?" I have a three year old and she can't bit through a whole lollipop — but if they flatten and spread when baking these would be a nice treat.

    And I'm totally on the same wavelength as you, Heather – I'm going to make these with my flower cutters too! I thought of that as soon as I saw the photo in my blog reader LOL!

  3. Yes, the center is still hard and crunch, but it is "thinner", so that helps. My 3-year old can plow through one of these cookies in about 6 seconds flat!

  4. They're beautiful! I know my girls would enjoy making these! I saw your post featured over at "One Pretty Thing" and am so glad I came by! Your newest follower, Jenn/Rook No. 17

  5. Oh my goodness, those are so cute! I’m gonna try those when I need to bring something to a get-together and then wait for others to be impressed. And then give credit where credit is due =D. But let them be impressed first =)

  6. These are so gorgeous! And I love that you give a “healthier” version to stave off some of the guilt! Thanks so much for sharing this…we are looking forward to getting a batch into the oven this weekend!

  7. Yay for the yummyearth idea! We have dye allergies in our family. So I almost didn’t read your post now I’m so glad I did! These look like fun too!

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