Windowpane Cookies

Windowpane Cookies

If you can make sugar cookies you can make windowpane cookies since sugar cookies provide the frames for windowpanes. Any sturdy dough cookie, like gingerbread, will work. First, let’s make some cookie dough.

Ingredients

• 3 cups of flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks of butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of milk
• 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In your stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg.
4. Add the milk and vanilla extract.
5. Mix until smooth.
6. Add the flour mixture half a cup at a time.
7. Mix until the dough is smooth.
8. Let the dough stand for a few minutes.
9. Divide the dough in half.
10. Place 1/2 of the dough between two sheets of parchment paper.
11. Roll out using a rolling pin until the dough is ¼ inch thick.
12. Leave the dough between the parchment sheets.
13. Roll out the remaining dough in the same way.
14. Refrigerate the dough for forty-five minutes.

To make the cookies, you will also need 16 ounces of hard candy. I like to use Jolly Rancher candies because I like the favors, but you can use any clear candy that you happen to prefer. Even plain old lollipops will work. Take the 16 ounces of candy and crush it. I have found the best way to do this is to place the candy in some plastic wrap and then wrap that in a kitchen towel. Then give it some good whacks with a meat tenderizer or a good heavy pan or your rolling pin. Whatever method you prefer, make sure that the candy is good and crushed. Be sure to crush each color of candy separately.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place a sheet of foil on your cookie sheet.
3. Spray the foil lightly with non stick spray.
4. Using you favorite Christmas cookie cutter, cut some cookies out of the prepared dough.
5. Using a pairing knife, cut out a window in the center of the cookie. If you like, you can make it a similar shape to the outline of the cookie. Leave a ¼ inch border to help give the cookie structure.
6. Using a spatula, carefully place each cookie on the foiled cookie sheets.
7. If you plan to use your cookies as tree decorations, punch a hole in the cookie so you can run a piece of string through it after it's baked.
8. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes.
9. Let the cookies cool.
10. Fill the window area of the cookie with the crushed candy.
11. For a stained glass effect, use different colored candies in each window.
12. Be sure to avoid getting any candy on the cookie itself. Brush off any candy that does happen to make it’s way onto the cookie.
13. Bake the cookies again for 3 or four minutes.
14. Let the cookies cool on the foil. If you are making more than one sheet of cookies just slide the foil, cookies and all, onto a wire rack to cool and place a fresh sheet of foil on the cookie sheet.