Stained Glass Valentine’s Cookies

This yummy dessert idea came to us from Lisa Davala at Spangler Candy.
Her article demonstrates how to make Stained Glass Valentine’s Day Cookies.
The recipe is fun and turns out a great cookie.
Also, kids love them for the cookie and candy all in one aspect,
and adults think they look neat with a stained glass center.

I can see this idea used for so many different holidays.
They actually used crushed dum dum suckers as the center.
So, imagine  the possibilities with all the different colors and flavors of dum dums!
Green centered 4-leaf clovers for St. Patty’s day, or
brown and yellow fall leaf cookies for autumn,
or red and green stained glass Christmas ornament cookies, or
blue centered snow-men.
You get the idea, endless possibilities!
Here is a picture of “Lisa’s Stained-Glass Heart Cookies.“What You’ll Need to Make These!

• 1 cup softened, butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Lollipops (Red Dum Dum Pops)
• Parchment Paper
• Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter

*Step 1-Preheat oven to 350ºF.
*Step 2-Unwrap Dum Dum Pops and place lollipops in a zipper bag
and gently pressing with a rolling pin.
This will separate the sucker from the sticks.
Press the batch into small-medium pieces.

*Step 3-In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with
electric mixer until light and airy.
Mix in egg and vanilla extract.

*Step 4- Sift flour, baking powder and salt together separately.
Then, add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time,
mixing after each addition.
Do not chill dough. Divide dough into 2 balls.

*Step 5-On floured surface, roll each ball into
a circle approximately 12 in. diameter x 1/8 in. thick.
Dip cookie cutter in flour before each use.

*Step 6-Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife,
cut shapes into centers of cookies,
reserving these center bits to add into extra dough.

*Step 7-Place these on a baking sheet, covered in parchment paper.
Once the cookie dough is placed on the sheet,
put a teaspoon of crushed Dum Dum Pops
into the center of each cookie.

*Step 8-Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet
for 8-11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.

*Step 9-
Let cookies cool completely before
removing from the parchment paper.

Put in an air tight container and enjoy your
Valentine’s Day cookies for up to a week…
…if they last that long!