Stained Glass Trees Food

STAINED GLASS TREES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl; set aside.
• Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until smooth, 1 minute. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and mix until combined. Stir in vanilla.Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Roll out chilled dough on a well-floured surface to a little more than 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes using a 5-inch tree-shape cookie cutter. Using a metal spatula, space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Using the tip of a paring knife, make a triangular cutout in center of each cookie for candy filling. Reroll scraps, and cut.
• Sprinkle candy in a single layer in hole of each cookie, avoiding edges of triangle. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake cookies until candy has melted and completely filled cutout and cookie edges are just starting to turn pale golden brown, 11 to 12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown, or the candy centers may become bubbly. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from parchment.

STAINED GLASS TREES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl.
• Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until smooth, 1 minute. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and mix until combined. Stir in vanilla. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Roll out chilled dough on a well-floured surface to a little more than 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes using a 5-inch tree-shape cookie cutter. Using a metal spatula, transfer shapes to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Using the tip of a paring knife, make a triangular cutout in center of each cookie for candy filling. Reroll scraps, and cut.
• Sprinkle candy in a single layer in hole of each cookie, avoiding edges of triangle. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake cookies until candy has melted and completely filled cutout and cookie edges are just starting to turn pale golden brown, 11 to 12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown, or the candy centers may become bubbly. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from parchment. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.
• How to makes Stained Glass Trees
• Use a paring knife to cut out a triangular center from each tree; fill each triangle with a single layer of chopped candies. Keep the pieces a slight distance from the edge of the triangle, as the heat of the oven will melt the candy, and it will spread. Midway through baking, quickly open the oven door and check for any little holes in the "glass"; use a toothpick to fill them in.

BEAUTIFUL STAINED-GLASS HARD CANDY

Steps:

• To make your own molds from foil: Cut aluminum foil in desired shapes: stars, trees, etc. Grease foil lightly with vegetable oil. Fold up edges to make 1/2" sides. Seal corners with freezer tape to prevent leaks.
• You can also pour this candy onto a greased cookie sheet to make your own shapes. Score the candy while it's still warm (be careful not to burn your fingers) so you can break it on the score lines. I've even used mint containers as molds.
• To make the candy: In a 2-quart saucepan combine sugar, syrup, water and vinegar. Cook, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, without stirring, until it reaches the hard crack stage (300F degrees).
• Remove from the heat, stir in the flavoring and color. Allow the candy to cool SLIGHTLY. Pour the candy into prepared molds, about 1/8" deep. When firm, remove from the molds.
• If you wish to hang the finished candy on a string or ribbon: when the candy begins to set (before it hardens) use a skewer to make holes for stringing.
• If candy becomes too firm to pour and shape it, then remelt it over low heat. Be careful not to boil it.
• Tips for other color combinations: Use a toothpick to swirl food coloring through the uncolored candy after it's been poured into molds. Make molded candies of one color and dribble with a second color to get a "stained glass" effect. To store candy ornaments, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in a covered container at room temperature in a dry place. Keep them flat to prevent warping.