Stained Glass Ginger Cookies Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dark molasses
• 6 ounces unsalted butter
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 8-ounce bags of sour-ball candies, assorted colors

Preparation:

Combine the molasses and butter in a medium-size saucepan and heat slowly over low heat until butter is melted. Cool slightly and blend in the egg.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ginger. Add the brown sugar and stir well. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the molasses mixture. Mix until well blended. The dough will be slightly sticky. Gather into a large ball, wrap in plastic, then in aluminum foil, and chill for 2 hours, until stiff enough to roll without sticking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove dough from the refrigerator and let it rest for 10 minutes. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter or mold as your guide, cut out a shape from the center of the cookie. Be careful not to cut too close to the edges or the cookie will break. Place the cookies on the lined baking sheet. Gather up scraps, reroll, and cut, always working with chilled dough.

Note: Use holiday cookie cutters, or use a sharp knife to cut initials in the center of a large circle. Use a drinking straw to cut a hole in the top of each cookie so you can later string them with ribbon for hanging.

Separate the sour balls by color and place each color group in a double-thickness of plastic bags. Place 1 bag at a time in a dish towel and crush the candies with a hammer or mallet into approximately 1/4-inch pieces. Fill the cutout shape with the crushed candies and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until candy has melted and is bubbly. Cool for 15 minutes, until candies harden, before peeling cookies from foil. Thread a ribbon through the hole to hang. Stored between layers of wax paper in an airtight cookie tin, the cookies will keep for 1 week.

Yield: about 3 dozen 3-inch cookies

Recipe Source: Gifts of Food by Susan Costner (Crown Publishing)
Reprinted with permission.