These stained glass cookies that are spiced with ground cinnamon and ginger are adorable and perfect as Christmas gifts! Refer to my Christmas Tree Cookies for the step-by-step photos.
Assorted hard candies, broken into 3 to 4 small pieces
INSTRUCTIONS
Place butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed until mixture is creamy, scrapping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add in egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 1 minute until combined.
Add in flour, ground almond, baking powder and salt and beat on low speed until just combined. Alternatively, use a rubber spatula and stir until the cookie dough comes together.
Scoop out the dough onto a large piece of clingfilm and pat it out into a disc of about 1-inch thick. Wrap up the dough with the clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 355°F. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Unwrap the dough and place it on a large piece of clingfilm. Place the clingfilm used to wrap the dough on top of the dough to prevent sticking. Use a rolling pin or a wine glass bottle and roll out the dough until it's 5-mm (1/4-inch) thick. If the dough feels too soft, chill it in the refrigerator for another 15 minutes before cutting the shapes out.
Dip a cookie cutter into flour and cut out a cookie shape, then transfer it onto the baking sheet. Use a smaller cookie cutter and cut out a hole in the middle. Repeat, combining and rolling out the scraps, until all the cookie dough has been used up. If the dough is becoming too sticky, chill it again before using.
Bake the cookies for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and working quickly, fill the holes with the broken hard candies. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another 5 to 6 minutes until lightly golden around the edges. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheet before storing in an airtight container.
NOTES
After filling the holes with the candies, do not bake the cookies for more than 6 minutes as the sugars in the candies will burn, resulting in a dark-coloured stained glass effect.