Windowpane Cookies Food

WINDOWPANE COOKIES

Steps:

• Making the Cookie Dough: Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
• In another bowl cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in flour mixture until dough is smooth and firm.
• Divide dough in half and shape into two 1/2-inch-thick disks. Cover them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. (At this point the dough can be covered in plastic wrap, sealed in a zip-top plastic bag, and frozen for up to 2 weeks.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
• Assembling the Cookies: On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut out shapes using the larger cookie cutter and then use the smaller cutters to remove "windows" from those shapes. Arrange cookies about 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Place candies in plastic zip-top bags (one color per bag), seal bags, and crush them with a rolling pin or meat mallet. Fill cookie windows with crushed candy pieces.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges start to turn golden, rotating sheets halfway through baking time. Place sheets on wire racks to cool for a few minutes before gently removing cookies with a metal spatula. Let cookies cool completely on wire racks. Store between layers of wax paper to prevent sticking in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

CHURCH WINDOW COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Stir in marshmallows and walnuts., Divide mixture into three portions; place each portion on a piece of waxed paper. Using waxed paper, shape each into a 10-in.-long roll; roll in coconut. Wrap tightly in waxed paper; refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Cut crosswise into 1/2-in. slices.

HOLIDAY WINDOWPANES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium high; add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 batches and beat until just combined. Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; shape into disks. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Generously dust a work surface with confectioners' sugar. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out the dough until about 1/3 inch thick, dusting with more confectioners' sugar as needed. (Return the dough to the refrigerator if it gets too soft.) Cut out shapes with 3- to 4-inch cookie cutters; arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Using a sharp paring knife or a small cookie cutter, cut out smaller shapes from the middle of the cookies. Reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies. Refrigerate the cookies until firm, 1 hour.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Pulse the hard candies in a food processor until coarsely ground. Mound the candy inside the cut-outs of the cookies. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges and the candy is melted, about 16 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. Dust with confectioners' sugar; brush off any from the centers, if desired.

HOLIDAY WINDOWPANES

Steps:

• Make Classic Sugar Cookies without baking powder; chill 2 hours. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick and cut into large Christmas-tree shapes. Cut out smaller trees from centers. Place on silicone mats and bake 6 to 8 minutes at 350 degrees, then sprinkle the centers with crushed hard candies and bake until melted, 2 to 5 more minutes.

STAINED GLASS WINDOW SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be relatively soft. If the dough seems too soft and sticky for rolling, add 1 more Tablespoon of flour.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Place each portion onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness or slightly thinner (anywhere between 1/8 - 1/4 inch is fine). Use more flour if the dough seems too sticky. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly thick.
• Lightly dust one of the rolled-out doughs with flour. Place a piece of parchment on top. (This prevents sticking.) Place the 2nd rolled-out dough on top. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours and up to 2 days.
• As the cookie dough chills, begin crushing the candies. The best way to crush the hard candies is to separate them by color, place each color in plastic bags, and crush them with a rolling pin or meat mallet. Don't crush the candies into a fine powder- crush them into fine pebble-sized bits. The crushed candies will pierce the bag no matter how careful you are. Some candy dust will escape, so just know that this step is messy. If you don't want to use plastic, use a paper bag or paper plate. (A bag is preferred so candy doesn't go flying everywhere.) Set crushed candy aside.
• Once cookie dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Carefully remove the top dough piece from the refrigerator. If it's sticking to the bottom, run your hand under it to help remove it- see me do this in the video above. Using your large cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. Using your small cookie cutter, cut out the center shape. (You don't need the center piece- re-roll it!) Re-roll all the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with 2nd piece of dough. Note: It doesn't seem like a lot of dough, but you get a lot of cookies from the dough scraps you re-roll.
• Carefully arrange cookies on baking sheets 3 inches apart. If your cookies are intricately shaped, use two hands to transfer them to the lined baking sheet.
• If using an egg white, beat it lightly with a fork or small whisk for 10 seconds. It's easier to brush onto tops of cookies if it's beaten first. Brush tops of shaped cookies with egg white or water. Sprinkle coarse sugar/sprinkles on top.
• Fill the cut-out centers about 3/4 full with crushed candies. The candy pieces melt and expand, so you don't need to over-fill. I use and recommend 1 color per cookie, but feel free to mix for a spotty multicolor look. The candies are sticky, so wipe off your fingers as needed.
• Bake for 12-13 minutes or until candies have melted and the cookies are lightly browned around the edges. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet until the melted candy center sets, about 15 minutes. Once melted candy center has set, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Cover and store cookies at room temperature for up to 1 week. For longer storage, cover and refrigerate for up to 10 days.