STAIN GLASS COOKIE RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and molasses until smooth. Add water. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture; blend well.
• Wrap dough in plastic and chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut out paper stars, bells, hearts, or other holiday motifs. Trace shapes onto a sheet of aluminum foil. Place foil on a baking sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray.
• Roll pieces of dough into ropes about 1/4-inch wide. Outline the foil designs with ropes of dough. Press ends lightly together.
• Separate candies by color. In a blender or food processor, coarsely crush candies. Fill in dough outlines with the desired color candies.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 4 to 5 minutes or until cookie is set and candy melts. Transfer cookies and foil to a cooling rack and cool completely before removing foil.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Place 2 to 3 candies of the same color in small plastic bag; seal bag. With hammer or flat side of meat mallet, gently pound to crush candy. Repeat with remaining candies, using several different colors.
• In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Mix in flour with spoon or hands, until well blended. (DO NOT EAT RAW COOKIE DOUGH AFTER COMBINING WITH FLOUR.) On lightly floured work surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick, using additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Cut out dough with floured 3-inch cookie cutter. With smaller cookie cutter (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches), cut out center of cookie.
• Place large cutouts 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Place 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed candy in center of each cutout cookie, making sure candy touches edges of cookie. (Do not mound candy in centers of cookies.)
• Bake 6 to 9 minutes or until edges of cookies are light golden brown and candy is melted and fills center of cookie. Cool about 10 minutes on cookie sheets or until candy is hardened. Remove cookies from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• On separate ungreased cookie sheet, place small center cutouts. Bake 4 to 6 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove to cooling rack to cool completely.