Stained Glass Lemon Cookies Recipes

STAINED GLASS COOKIES

Steps:

• Line baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Alternatively, you can use a silicone baking mat.
• In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients, except hard candies, until dough ball forms. Split dough in half and form into disks.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thick. Cut out cookies with oversized (4 to 5-inch) ornament-shaped cookie cutters. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets spaced 1-inch apart. On each of the large cookies, cut out 3 or 4 smaller shapes using 1/2 to 1-inch cookie cutters. If cookies are to be used as ornaments, make a hole at the top with a straw. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• While cookies chill, place unwrapped hard candies, sorted by color, in separate zip-top resealable bags. Squeeze air from bags and seal; crush candies with rolling pin. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove cookies from refrigerator and fill centers of cookies with
• crushed hard candies.
• Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden. Cool completely on baking sheet on a rack.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Store completely cooled cookies separated by waxed paper in an air-tight container for 1 week.

STAINED GLASS COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing after each addition until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and then slowly mix in the flour until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Remove the dough, press into a flat rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Cut the dough into thirds, wrap 1 piece back in the plastic wrap and return it to the refrigerator. Dust your work surface and the remaining 2 pieces of dough well with flour and roll out each to 3/16 inch with a rolling pin, moving the dough and dusting the top and bottom with additional flour if it becomes sticky. Cut out as many large stars as possible with a 4-inch star cookie cutter and place on the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps and reroll once to cut out more cookies. You should have a total of 12 stars. Cut a small star out of the middle of each large star with a 2-inch star cookie cutter and reserve for another use. (You can chill and bake the small stars separately or freeze for later.) Refrigerate the baking sheets until the dough is firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, separate the candy by color and place each color in a separate resealable plastic bag. Place a kitchen towel over the bags and crush the candy into small pieces using a rolling pin or meat mallet; do not pulverize. Fill the cut-out areas of the cookies two-thirds full with the crushed candy.
• Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until light golden brown and the candy has melted, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat the rolling, cutting, filling and baking process with the remaining piece of dough.

STAINED GLASS COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream margarine and dark-brown sugar until fluffy. Add molasses and beat until combined. Add flour mixture, alternating with 1/3 cup water; beating on low until combined. Divide dough in half, pat each half into a rectangle, and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Working with one piece of dough at a time, on a well-floured Silpat (a French nonstick baking mat), roll out dough to a rectangle slightly thicker than 1/8 inch. Chill for 10 minutes. Gather together scraps and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough before rerolling.
• Using a 7-inch star-shaped cutter, cut out dough. (For best results press cutter into the dough and remove the excess before taking away the cutter.) Remove centers of stars using a 3-inch star cutter. Use a skewer to make a hole in a tip of each star.
• Bake until crisp but not darkened, about 20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. When cookies are cool, line baking sheets with clean Silpats or parchment paper. Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets; set aside.
• Prepare an ice bath; set aside. To make the caramel: Combine granulated sugar, 1/3 cup water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan, and place over medium-high heat. Stir continuously to dissolve sugar. If at any time your hand comes into contact with the hot sugar, immediately plunge it into the ice bath. This should prevent further injury. When sugar is dissolved, stop stirring. Continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture turns amber in color, 5 to 10 minutes. Occasionally wash down sides of the pan using a clean brush dipped in cold water to prevent crystals from forming.
• Carefully fill the centers of the cookies with caramel. Let stand until cool. Thread a piece of wax twine through the hole in each cookie, and tie to create a loop. Do not hang ornaments in direct light or in a humid area, as the caramel can melt.

GLAZED LEMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
• Mix flour, lemon zest, and salt in a separate bowl. Pour over butter mixture; beat until combined.
• Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut into cookies. Arrange on the lined baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are set and bottoms are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Allow cookies to cool, about 10 minutes.
• While cookies are cooling, mix icing sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Spread glaze over the cookies.

GLAZED LEMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until combined. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture.
• Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 2 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread cookies with Lemon Glaze and let set, about 1 hour.

SOFT LEMON COOKIES FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Cream sugar and butter in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, egg, and vanilla extract; mix on low speed to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate everything evenly.
• Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Add to the sugar mixture slowly, mixing on low speed until just incorporated. Mix in the remaining 2 tablespoons flour.
• Place 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Scoop out teaspoonfuls of cookie dough, roll in powdered sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheet, 1 to 2 inches apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are light brown on the edges, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 3 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack and sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.