Window Pane Cookies Recipes

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.

MAGIC WINDOW COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover; refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. On lightly floured cloth-covered surface, roll one-third of dough at a time 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Cut shapes from centers of cookies as desired. Place cookies on parchment paper.
• Place whole or partially crushed pieces of candy in cutouts, depending on size and shape of design, mixing colors as desired. Leave pieces as large as possible because candy melts easily; do not use fine candy "dust." (To crush candy, place in heavy plastic bag and tap lightly with rolling pin.) Place cutouts from centers of cookies on top of candies, if desired.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are very light brown and candy is melted. If candy has not completely spread within cutout design, immediately spread with knife. Cool completely on parchment paper, about 30 minutes. Gently remove cookies to cooling rack.

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.

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 COOKIES

Steps:

• PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with foil.
• CUT dough in half; refrigerate one half. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon flour onto working surface. Sprinkle additional flour over remaining half. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness, using additional flour as needed to prevent sticking.
• CUT into desired shapes with 2½-inch cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets with spatula, placing about 2 inches apart. Cut out small shapes in cookie centers. Spoon candy into each center to fill holes. Pierce hole at top of shape if cookie is going to be hung. Repeat with remaining dough.
• BAKE for 8 to 11 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 1 minute; slide foil with cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

STAINED-GLASS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat to combine. Form dough into 2 disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between floured parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Stack dough in parchment on a baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes. With a 2 1/2-inch Christmas-ball-shaped cutter, cut out dough (reroll scraps, if desired). Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. With a 1-inch star cutter, cut out dough in center of each cookie. Bake until cookies are pale but set, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove sheets from oven; fill cutouts with crushed candy. Bake until cookies begin to brown at edges and candy is melted, 3 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

CHURCH WINDOW COOKIES

Steps:

• Melt margarine and chocolate chips over water (or in microwave) and cool.
• Pour and mix with marshmallows, nuts and coconut.
• Pour on wax paper and form into rolls.
• Refrigerate, remove wax paper, and cut into slices, and serve.

CATHEDRAL WINDOW COOKIES

Steps:

• Place marshmallows and nuts if desired in a large bowl; set aside. In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over medium-low heat. Pour over marshmallow mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring occasionally., Shape marshmallow mixture into a 12-in. roll; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Unwrap and cut into 3/8-in. slices; cut slices in half.

CHURCH-WINDOW COOKIES

Steps:

• Melt the butter and chocolate chips in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; mix until smooth and creamy; remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Fold in the marshmallows and walnuts.
• Scatter about half of the coconut onto a large baking sheet. Form the chocolate mixture into two oblong logs and lay them onto the coconut. Use the remaining coconut to coat the logs. Refrigerate until the logs are firm, about 1 hour. Cut logs into 3/4-inch slices.