Festive, summery shortbread cookies with a stained-glass candy window in the center. Makes about 36 cookies, depending on the size of your cutters.
Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temperature
⅔ cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla (clear vanilla, if you have it)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup crushed blue hard candy
½ cup crushed red hard candy
For decorating: ½ cup white chocolate chips, sprinkles, nonpareils.
Instructions
In a large bowl (a stand mixer is best) beat the butter and powdered sugar together until creamy.
Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well.
Add the flour and cornstarch. Mixture will be stiff - switch to a dough hook or stir by hand if necessary. Cover and chill for one hour.
Heat oven to 350 F.
Roll dough out to ¼-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Using a large star cookie cutter, cut out stars and place them on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
With small cookie cutter, cut a star out of the middle of each.
Carefully put enough crushed candy in the center of each cookie to cover the parchment, but don't overfill or it will bubble up the sides. Use a toothpick to distribute the candy evenly. Make sure there are no little bits of crushed candy on the cookie dough. (Use the toothpick to flick them down where they belong!)
Bake for about 10 minutes. Place baking sheets on cooling racks and let the cookies cool completely.
Drizzle the cookie with white chocolate or royal icing if desired, and sprinkle with sugar decorations.
Recipe by The Rowdy Baker at http://www.therowdybaker.com/?p=2873