Stained Glass Window / Lollipop Cookies

brokenburner's Note:

This is from the "Dining In" kosher cookbook; these cookies turn out really pretty. As a general rule, I hate working with dough that I need to roll, but I found this one very easy to deal with. I'm copying the recipe verbatim from the cookbook, but I really do not recommend mixing all the ingredients at once!! -- I did that and created a great big floury mess. It's probably a better idea to cream the margarine and sugar, and then alternate between gradually adding the flour and liquid ingredients. As for crushing the lollipops, I put them in a freezer bag and whacked at them with a rolling pin... triple-bagging is probably a good idea! It would probably work to crush them in a food processor, too. With the leftover dough from the cutouts, or if you just don't feel like cutting out shapes in the first place, you can make a "thumbprint" type cookie and fill the "wells" with the crushed lollipops.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 25

Yield: 25.0 cookies

• 4 cups flour
• 1 cup margarine
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¼ tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 18 lollipops , crushed (for window filling)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix all ingredients, excluding lollipops, to form dough.
3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface.
4. With a scalloped-edged cookie cutter, cut large circles from dough.
5. Place the scalloped circles onto lined cookie sheets.
6. With a small cookie cutter, cut out desired shape from the centers of each circle.
7. Remove the dough and fill the shape with crushed lollipops.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the candy melts in the cookie centers.
9. Allow to cool before removing from tray.

Reviews

[scancan]

These are quite possibly the best sugar cookies I've made so far (and I've made tons). At first the dough was a bit crumbly but I just added a tiny bit of water and oil and it came together nicely. I chilled the dough before shaping and I found it really easy to work with. Most of the cookies I just dipped into sprinkles (jimmies) and colored sugar but I did use a few of the crushed candies which of course the kids loved. Thank you so much for a great recipe.

[cooledskin]

These cookies are very good. I can't believe nobody has rated them before! They look very dramatic and labour-intensive, but they're incredibly easy. Thanks for making me look good!