Name: Stained-Glass Christmas Light Cookies
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT2H30M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT6H0M0.000S
Yield: about 36 cookies
Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note); 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon fine salt; 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 large egg, at room temperature; 36 red, green and blue hard candies, such as Jolly Rancher, unwrapped, or more if needed; 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted; 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste; Pinch fine salt; Red, green and blue gel food coloring; Edible gold luster dust; Few drops vodka

Directions

Special equipment:

a 3 1/2-by-1 3/4-inch Christmas lightbulb cookie cutter; 4 disposable piping bags; small clean paintbrush

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Cream the butter and granulated sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a handheld electric mixer until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and mix until just combined (avoid overmixing once the egg has been added as incorporating air can cause the cookies to puff during baking). Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
Divide the dough into 3 portions. Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to approximately 1/4 inch thick. Use a 3 1/2-by-1 3/4-inch Christmas lightbulb cookie cutter to cut out 12 cookies. Carefully lift each cookie with an offset spatula and place it on a prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each cookie.
Once all 12 cookies are on the baking sheet, use a small sharp paring knife to carefully cut out the center of each Christmas light leaving a border of approximately 1/2 inch all the way around, creating an opening for the stained glass; you can also make a paper template to use as a guide so each opening is the same size. (Cutting out the centers after transferring the cookies to baking sheets helps keep the dough from stretching or breaking.)
If you’d like to turn the cookies into edible decorations, use a drinking straw or a round piping tip to cut a small hole at the socket end of each bulb so you can thread ribbon or string through each cookie for hanging the lights individually or stringing them together for a festive garland.
Place one unwrapped hard candy into the center of each cookie. Avoid letting the candy touch the cookie edges as it melts; if needed, crush the candy into smaller pieces so it fits neatly inside the opening.
Bake the sheet of cookies, rotating the pan halfway through, until the dough is light golden brown and the candy has melted, 14 to 18 minutes; don't overbake or the candy can bubble and create an uneven surface. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheet before moving them. Repeat making and baking cookies with the remaining dough and candies on the prepared baking sheets.
While the cookies cool, make the royal icing: Combine the confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, water, vanilla paste, salt and 1/4 cup room-temperature water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium high and whisk until stiff glossy peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes.
To achieve a flooding consistency, beat in additional water 1 teaspoon at a time. Test after each addition by lifting the whisk; if the icing slowly ribbons onto the surface of the icing below and disappears back into the icing within 10 to 15 seconds it’s ready. (It's much easier to thin the icing than to thicken it, so add the water gradually.)
For decorating: Divide the royal icing into four portions. Leave one portion white and color the remaining three portions red, green and blue with drops of gel food coloring to match the shades of the candy centers in the cookies. Transfer each color to a separate disposable piping bag fitted with a small round piping or snip a very small hole about 2 millimeters (a little less than 1/16 inch) in the tip of the bags.
Matching the icing shade to the candy center, outline and then flood the bulb section (but not the socket) of each cookie. Use a toothpick to spread the icing into any gaps. Allow the icing to set for about 1 hour. Then use the white royal icing to pipe and flood the socket at the top of each Christmas light. Allow this to set for another hour.
Once the white icing has crusted over, pipe 2 to 3 thin horizontal lines like screw marks across each socket to add detail. Leave the cookies to dry completely, at least 2 to 3 hours or overnight for a fully hardened finish.
Mix a small amount of gold luster dust with a few drops of vodka to create a paint-like consistency. Once the icing is completely dry, lightly paint the sockets with the gold mixture. Let the paint dry completely. Once fully dry, serve the cookies or thread ribbon, twine or string through the holes to hang them individually or string them together into a festive edible garland. Cookies can also be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)