Stained Glass Cookies

Hang these translucent cookies by a window for an edible, easy-to-make piece of art.

Stained-Glass Holiday Cookies

You can make these cookies as simple or ornate as you like: Just trace your design onto a sheet of parchment, fill the cookie dough with crushed candies and bake. Like magic, you've created a gorgeous stained "glass."

Follow this step-by-step to create your own stained-glass cookies. For the ingredient list, go to the Stained Glass Holiday Cookie recipe.

Get Started

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Trace the pattern you want to make on a sheet of parchment. You can use a simple design or one that's more intricate, but make sure the image leaves enough room to easily fill the spaces with candy.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon and clove.

To Make the Gingerbread Dough:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each and scraping the sides of the bowl. Mix in the molasses on low speed, until well blended. Add the flour all at once and mix on low speed just until it all comes together. Scrape down the bowl and turn the speed to medium; beat for 15 seconds.

Wrap the gingerbread dough in plastic and refrigerate until set up, at least an hour.

Trace Design With Dough

Line your patterned parchment on a baking sheet. Use the gingerbread cookie dough to create 1/8-inch-thick ropes and lay them over the pattern on the parchment.

Pinch Seams Together

Be sure to pinch together any seams so they are strong, especially if you intend to hang the stained-glass cookies by ribbon.

Bake the Cookie Frames

Bake the cookie dough for about 3 minutes, just to set it. You don't need to bake it completely because it will bake further after you've added the candy. Allow the cookie dough to cool completely before adding the candy.

Crush Your Candies

Select the candy you want and crush it into small pieces. Depending on the candy this can be done with a knife, mortar and pestle or food processor.

Fill Cookie Frames

Arrange the crushed candy in the spaces between the set cookie dough. Make the layers even and bring it as close to the edge as possible.

Bake the Cookies Again

Bake the cookies for about 5 minutes, until the candies have melted and are smooth. They will be very sticky when hot, but as soon as they cool they will peel right off the parchment.

Hang Cookies Near the Light

These cookies are stunning when strung with ribbon and hung in a window. There is usually a bubble from the candy that will allow you to thread a ribbon in the glass. Don't try to hang it from the cookie edge, because the cookie alone won't be strong enough to hold it up.

(But the best part is that you get to eat the piece of art.)