Stained Glass Window Cookies

Preparation

• Cookies

  • In a bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
  • In another bowl, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until the mixture is smooth. With a wooden spoon, stir in the dry ingredients. Shape the dough into 3 discs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  • On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick sheet. Cut the cookies with a 4-inch (10 cm) holiday-themed cookie cutter and transfer to the baking sheets, spacing them evenly.
  • With a smaller cookie cutter of the same pattern, cut out the centres of the cookies. Using a chopstick, poke a small hole through the top of each cookie, just large enough to thread a ribbon through the finished cookie. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  • Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 9 minutes or until lightly golden brown. After the cookies come out of the oven, enlarge the opening hole for the ribbon, if needed. Let cool. Transfer to a clean baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

• Candy “Windows”

  • In a saucepan, bring the sugar, water and vinegar to a boil without stirring. Add the food colouring when the temperature reaches approximately 250°F (120°C) on a candy thermometer. Continue boiling until the syrup reads 290°F (143°C). Remove from the heat immediately.
  • Pour about 1 tbsp (15 ml) syrup into the centre of each cookie. If the mixture begins to harden in the saucepan, gently reheat to melt it. Let the cookies cool.
  • Loop a ribbon through the hole in the top of each cookie to make hanging ornaments.