Let Them Eat Cake

Cute right? Just wait till you see the inside.

Thats right people, its vertical!

Stained Glass Window Cookies

     

Ingredients

-Sugar cookie recipe of your choice

-Hard candy

-Two cookie heart shaped cookie cutters

-Royal icing

Directions

                                 Crush the candy with a rolling pin in a zip lock bag, set aside.

Cut out the sugar cookies.

Randomly place the crushed candy in the middle of the cookies

Bake for 12 minutes

If the candy hasn't made it to the edges of the cookie, take a metal spoon and nudge it into place. 

Set aside to fully cool.

Decorate!

So, I made these beauties for tea party my grandmother was hosting. While I, myself, do not favor pink, it was what she requested. However, the modifications on this particular idea is quite favorable. Virtually any combination of colors can be used, as well as any any shape. Below I have outlined my favorite sugar recipe as well as a hard candy recipe in case you want to personalize your "glass windows."

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

This recipe makes about 30, 3" cookies

230 grams unsalted butter, softened

420 grams granulated sugar

575 grams unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cardamom

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

2 large eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F

Fit mixer with paddle attachment. Cream butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Periodically stop mixer and scrape bowl. 

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom in a separate mixing bowl. Use a whisk to combine ingredients. Set aside. 

Add vanilla bean seeds and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined.Add one egg and mix on low until incorporated. Scrape bowl. Add second egg and mix on low until incorporated.

Add flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom mix on low. Stop mixer and scrape bowl. Continue mixing until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.

Divide dough in half and roll each half to a 1" thick rectangle. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour in refrigerator or freeze the dough or later use.

Remove dough from refrigerator and let soften slightly. Roll dough on floured parchment to 3/16" thick. Chill sheets for another half hour.

Cut out cookies and freeze for 15 minutes. Bake at 350F for 9-10 minutes or  until the edges are a light golden brown. Rotate after 5 minutes.

Hard Candy Recipe

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups light corn syrup

1 cup water

1 tablespoon orange, or other flavored extract

1/2 teaspoon food coloring (optional)

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, stir together the white sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil. Without stirring, heat to 300 to 310 degrees F (149 to 154 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard, brittle threads.
2. 
   
3. Remove from heat and stir in flavored extract and food coloring, if desired. Pour onto a greased cookie sheet, and dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Let cool, and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.