Shaker Stained Glass Cookies
Even the grown-ups are impressed with these see-through cookies. All you need to make these little windows is a few Beacon Sparkles.
Ingredients
- 200g salted butter, softened
- 1¾ cup (150g) caster sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence
- Pink and orange food colouring (optional)
- 2⅓ cup (350g) plain flour, sifted + extra for dusting
- 2 packets (75g) Beacon Sparkles Tropical Fruit
- 2 tubs (50g each) cake decoration sprinkles
Icing:
- 2⅓ cup (305g) icing sugar
- 1 Tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
- 1–2 Tbsp (15–30ml) water
Method
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Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric whisk.
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Add egg, vanilla essence and a few drops of food colouring (if using) and whisk until combined.
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Add flour, whisking until a dough forms (scrape sides and bottom of the bowl as you go).
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Place dough on a lightly floured surface, pressing to form a single ball. (On a hot day, you might need to chill the dough at this point for a few minutes if the mixture is very soft.)
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Roll dough out to about 0.5cm thick.
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Cut out shapes using assorted cookie cutters and place on a lined baking tray, then cut out the centre of each cookie (using a cookie cutter that is 2–3 sizes smaller than the first) to create a cookie frame.
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Re-roll off-cuts and repeat until the dough is used up.
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Chill cookies for 15–30 minutes, or until firm.
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Preheat oven to 180°C.
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Crush sparkles using a pestle and mortar until powder-like. (You can also place sweets in a sealable plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin.)
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Fill the open cookie centres with about half a teaspoon crushed-Sparkles powder.
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Bake on the middle rack for 8–12 minutes, or until just coloured on the edges. Remove and leave to cool completely on tray.
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Combine icing ingredients and knead to create a dough.
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Roll out a piece of dough into a 1cm thin rope.
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Put the half the cookies flat-side down on a cooling rack or working surface. Place a piece of icing rope on the cookie, staying inside the edges on either side. (The icing will become the glue that binds the two frames together, keeping your sprinkles inside, so make sure there are no gaps in the rope.)
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Add decorating sprinkles in the centre of the cookies with the icing rope and sandwich with the bare cookies, keeping the flat sides facing outwards.
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Store in an airtight container for 2–3 days.
Top tip:
Crush Sparkles just before using – if the powder stands for too long, it will form clumps. Place cookies flat-side down on a cooling rack or working surface. Place a piece of icing rope on the edges of the cookie, forming a circle on your cookie frame. Place a rope on the cookie rope of icing in a circle on the cookie. (his will become the glue that keeps two frames together and your sprinkles inside, so make sure there are no gaps.
What you need
