Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Stained Glass Sugar Cookies


When it's time for sweet, sugary beauty to adorn the tabletop I make these Stained Glass Sugar Cookies!  Any sugar cookie recipe will do.


They're so much fun to decorate, but may be a bit time consuming.  I love making them

 

and I really like eating them.
I decorate the snowflakes by first outlining with white icing. Let them set.  Butter inside outline with teal blue icing. Let set.  Use cake decorating bag and small tip to draw white icing lines inside blue and immediately pour granulated sugar over the cookies and tamp off excess.  That's how I create the snowy centers.


This year, the Hubby got into the fun.  He decorated the trees below with sugar and candies.  Sugar cookies are usually not this dark, but that's the way the Hubby likes them... Crisp!


The trick to having non-drippy icing lines, is to make a first pass OUTLINE with a stiff batch and let it "set" for atleast an hour before icing the interior colors. You can also use meringue powder, but I don't like it.  I used a lot of it this summer practicing for my son's wedding cake, and I don't like the pitchy taste it gives.


Stained Glass Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe:  
1 cup powdered confectioner's sugar (sifted)
2 teaspoons milk
3-4 teaspoons light corn syrup (3 tsp for "stiff batch" and 4 tsp for "buttering" cookie tops)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract or a good quality pure vanilla extract (vanilla will impart an aftertaste)
food colors (I prefer gels, they give vivid colors)

I mix well in my Kitchenaid until it's shiny and pliable.  It will stiffen as you work with it.  I soften it up again by placing it in a microwavable container and heat for 20 seconds. This is not preferred, but in my experience, it does not damage the icing.  I leave them out on the counter in a safe place overnight  to ensure the icing has fully hardened before plating or packing up.

(Each batch is enough to outline about 45-50 cookies.)  I make a separate batch for each color.  I "butter" the colored icing within the outline using a butter knife.  It works for me.  If you're a perfectionist, use a cake decorating bag, a small round tip to make outlines, and a flat tip to fill in the outline later.  Enjoy!

10 comments:

  1. Those are beautiful! I'm going to try them this Christmas. I made one batch already, but I'm sure we could eat a second batch.

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  2. I was just at Heidi's and had these cookies. They were so good. I not only went home with the recipe, But she also gave me dog treats for my dogs which they loved.

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  3. Birds, Bees, Berries & Blooms,
    Glad to hear that you are baking. It keeps the kitchen warm. have a Merry Christmas!

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  4. Thanks for the pat on the back. For everyone that doesn't already know, Michelle here is my BFF and the 2nd best cook I know. My Mom is #1 (family loyalty) I am sure that Michelle will do something fun with the recipe that I didn't even think of yet.

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  5. Those look really cute. Well, worth the extra effort. I am copying this over to use. Thanks- they look Glassy! xo Diana

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  6. hi friend finally i found you..the blog has delete my page i have a new one now...hope you join me...loves soraya

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  7. Your cookies are beautiful, they truly do look like stained glass! :)

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  8. These look sooo beautiful! Thank you for sharing the technique and the recipe - and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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  9. Wow! Who knew there were so many ladies (like me) with a sweet tooth in Blogland? Thanks to everyone who has stopped by to chime in about the cookies. I love making these cookies and I hope you all get the chance to make them too. Have a Merry Christmas!

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  10. hello
    these cookies looking wonderful.
    regina
    reginassimplelife.blogspot.com

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