Simple sugar cookies, with integral cut-outs filled with Jolly Rancher crushed candies fulfill our artistic desire for edible stained glass and a beloved buttered cookie all at once! Food is ART!

Stained Glass Sugar Cookies

Stained Glass Sugar Cookies

Basic Sugar Cookie Dough:
1 cup butter (or shortening), room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup Jolly Rancher candy (or colored hard candy), crushed

Cream together the butter, sugar, egg, baking powder, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy.

Fold in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until fully incorporated.

Divide the dough in half.

Transfer each half to parchment paper, forming into a large mound.
Cover each mound with an additional sheet of parchment and the roll out into 1/4″ thick slabs.

Transfer to cookie sheets and chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Unwrap the candies and transfer to a heavy-duty plastic bag. Using a mallet or rolling pin, break the candies apart, crushing into 1/8-1/4″pieces.

Remove the chilled dough slats from the fridge and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes within shapes.

Form and roll out excess dough for more shapes within shapes.

Fill the shapes with crushed candy pieces.

Bake for 15 minutes, or so, until the candy is melted and cookies are beginning to brown.

Remove from oven and cool for at least 20 minutes, until the melted candy has set to form “stained glass” art!