Santa Baby, Slip A “Stained Glass Window Cookie” Under The Tree For Me!!

I've been an awful good girl
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight......

I do adore this time of year with lots of wonderful Christmassy baking and cooking in the run up to the biggest event for every cooks/baker who celebrates Christmas. The aroma of aromatic spices wafting through the air of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg etc, perhaps a warm toddy of mulled wine to give you Christmas cheer or a warmed mince pie with lush brandy butter, which all evoke memories of Christmas past and present!

I have already posted my Christmas fruit cake and its being ‘fed’ each week with brandy until nearer the time to marzipan and fondant ice; also my boozy mincemeat is maturing for my mince pies.

I am now going to commence my countdown to Christmas baking on my blog, in addition to other bakes. I will lead you through traditional fare that is eaten here in the U.K. and/or around the world. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I will baking my way through these delectable delights.

To kick start this affair off, I have chosen Christmas Stained Glass Window Cookies to share with you. They are easy to make and look wonderful hung on the Christmas tree. The light catches perfectly those little centres of jewels glistening away. They can become a little sticky if left too long to hang, that is if little fingers allow for them to be there any length of time * giggle*! It’s a little early here to hang them on the tree here, but I did cut a few branches off a little bush I have, to show you the effect they can give in my pictures.

I am also sending my Christmas Stained Glass Window Cookies to Susan at Food Blogger who is hosting a superb event – Eat Christmas Cookies, season 2, Christmas Cookies From Around The World. Susan is posting cookies and links on her site as they are sent into her from participants. I have linked above the event if you would like to participate. If you would like to view the cookies that participants are sending in [click here].

Here is the recipe for the Christmas Stained Glass Window Cookies if you would like to recreate a little magic of light for your Christmas tree at home.

Christmas Stained Glass Window Cookies

Makes approximately 12

Ingredients
175g (6 oz) plain flour
75g (3 oz) butter
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 egg white
2 tbsp orange juice
225g (8 oz) hard boiled sweets in assorted colours
Thin ribbon
You will need 2 baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper. Cookie cutters (large and smaller shapes) to the design you wish to make, Christmas trees, bells, reindeer, stars etc....

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Prepare your baking sheets by lining with non-stick paper.

Put the flour, butter, sugar into a food processor and blend quickly together then add the egg white and drizzle in the orange juice, the dough will start to form into a ball, try not to over work the dough to much. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly then wrap in cling film and press into a circle and chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.

You will need to break up the hard boiled sweets into tiny pieces but keep each colour separate. I placed each batch of colour into a strong plastic bag and bashed them with my rolling pin!

Unwrap the dough and roll out on a floured surface to s thickness of about 5mm (¼ in). Now cut out your desired shape(s) by using a larger cutter(s) and a smaller one(s) for cutting out the centre. (Roll up the dough and reroll and cut out more shapes). Place onto the baking trays and fill each centre of each cookie with one selected colour of hard boiled sweet bits. With a skewer make a little hole in the top of the cookie, this allows to place the ribbon through at a later stage.

Place into the preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Place a skewer back into the holes at the top of the cookies to open them up. Leave to cool on the baking trays until cool enough to peel off. Lastly thread the ribbon through the holes at the top of each cookie. Hang on the tree to glisten away.