4th Of July “Stained Glass” Red, White & Blue Star Cookies

The 4th of July is a big holiday in my family. A big family reunion at the beach, lots of memories made and lots of good eats. This year I have a very special treat for everyone, and I could squeal with delight how well they turned out. 

Stained Glass Red, White & Blue Star Cookies!

Back in April I saw pictures of Stained Glass Easter Egg Cookies, and I fell in love. I instantly decided I need to make them, but for the 4th of July! 

I didn’t really have a recipe, just a picture in my mind that I saw months ago. So there was a bit of trial and error going on in my kitchen this weekend. Ultimately, the results are exactly what I pictured in my head. Oh and they are delicious too! 

• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• crushed Jolly Ranchers (Cherry & Blue Raspberry)
• Wilton nesting star cookie cutters
• non-stick silicone mat*

*TRUST me, you need a non-stick surface for Jolly Ranchers. I recommend a Silpat mat, I use them for all of my baking these days.

Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat — Various Sizes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Gradually add the dry ingredients.

Cover dough and refrigerated for at least 20 minutes. 

*** The trick to these cookies is to roll the dough very thin. Very thin. Because of the thinness, it is difficult to move the shape. So I found that the easiest thing to do was to cut the stars out on the non-stick foil, on the cookie sheet. This way, nothing has to move. (Please note, I took my prep pictures during my first batch, and I did not use non-stick foil. Half of the candied centers made it, half did not. Trust me on the foil.)

From the Wilton nesting star cookie cutters set I used the second biggest for the cookie and the smallest to cut out the center of each cookie. 

Fill each star with 1 – 1/2 teaspoon of candy.

Bake 5 minutes in the oven, or until golden.

Let stand on cookie sheet about 2 minutes before removing so candies have a chance to harden. 

Happy 4th of July!!!

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4th Of July "Stained Glass" Red, White & Blue Star Cookies

Ingredients

• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter softened
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• crushed Jolly Ranchers Cherry & Blue Raspberry
• Wilton nesting star cookie cutters
• non-stick foil trust me!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients.
5. Cover dough and refrigerated for at least 20 minutes.
6. *** The trick to these cookies is to roll the dough very thin. Very thin. Because of the thinness, it is difficult to move the shape. So I found that the easiest thing to do was to cut the stars out on the non-stick foil, on the cookie sheet. This way, nothing has to move. (Please note, I took my prep pictures during my first batch, and I did not use non-stick foil. Half of the candied centers made it, half did not. Trust me on the foil.)
7. From the Wilton nesting star cookie cutters set I used the second biggest for the cookie and the smallest to cut out the center of each cookie.
8. Place your Jolly Ranchers (or other clear, hard candy) in a thick plastic baggie and smash. (I used Cherry and Blue Raspberry Jolly Ranchers (original flavors) for the cookies. I also had Watermelon, but they are very light in color. Still yummy, but Cherry looks best.)
9. Fill each star with 1 - 1/2 teaspoon of candy.
10. Bake 5 minutes in the oven, or until golden.
11. Let stand on cookie sheet about 2 minutes before removing so candies have a chance to harden.