Windowpane Cookies Recipes

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.

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:

• 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.

WINDOW PANE COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Melt butter and chocolate chips together, Let cool slightly. Add marshmallows and nuts.
• 2. Divide into thirds: Put on foil and roll unto three logs. Chill about 30 minutes and slice.