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American Flag Stained Glass Cookies

American flag stained glass cookies with buttery sugar cookie bases and crushed hard-candy centers that melt into a glowing red, white, and blue stained-glass look. Cut stars and rectangles, fill with candy, and bake until the edges set and the centers liquefy.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
chill 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 41 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cookies
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Stained Glass Centers
  • 8 red hard candies crushed
  • 8 blue hard candies crushed
Optional Decoration
  • white sanding sugar optional
  • red, white, and blue sprinkles optional

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the sugar cookie dough
  1. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined, with no visible dry clumps.
  2. Beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down as needed to keep the mixture smooth.
  3. Mix in egg and vanilla extract, beating just until the batter looks uniform.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
  5. Divide the dough into two discs, flatten slightly, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Cut, fill, and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment.
  2. Roll the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness so the cookies bake evenly.
  3. Cut large star and rectangle shapes from the dough and place them on the prepared sheet pan.
  4. Use a smaller cutter to remove centers, leaving cookie borders thick enough to hold the filling.
  5. Fill each center opening with crushed red hard candies or crushed blue hard candies.
  6. Bake for 9–11 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and the candy is melted.
  7. Cool the cookies completely before removing them from the sheet pan so the candy sets.
Decorate and serve
  1. Sprinkle with white sanding sugar or red, white, and blue sprinkles if desired for extra sparkle.
  2. Arrange the cookies in an American flag pattern for serving.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the dough cold and work with one disc at a time; if it softens, return it to the fridge briefly for cleaner star and rectangle edges. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days (best texture within 3). Freezing is yes—freeze baked, cooled cookies in a sealed container for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature. For a dairy-free swap, use a 1:1 vegan butter alternative that’s labeled for baking, but expect slightly softer centers.