Stained Glass Trees
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (plus more for work surface)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 7 ounces (about 30) assorted clear colored hard candies, colors separated and finely chopped
Directions
* In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
* With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until combined. Stir in the vanilla.
* Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until cold, about 45 minutes.
* Preheat oven to 325 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds.
* Roll out the chilled dough on a well-floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out shapes using a 5-inch tree-shaped cookie cutter.
* Use a spatula to transfer the trees to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Using the tip of a paring knife, make a triangular cutout in the center of each cookie for candy filling. Re-roll dough scraps and cut additional cookies.
* Sprinkle candy in a single layer in the cutout of each cookie, avoiding the edges. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.
* Bake the cookies until the candy has melted and completely filled the cutout and cookie edges are just starting to turn pale golden brown, 11 to 12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown, or the candy centers may become bubbly.
* Set the baking sheets on wire racks and let the cookies cool completely. Use a metal spatula to remove the cookies from parchment paper. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.
Makes about 3 dozen.
Source: The Times Online – Hammond, Indiana
