If you’re looking for something unusual to serve up on your Christmas cookie platter this year, these stained glass cookies might be just the thing you’re looking for. These cookies are beautiful, out of the norm, and emulate the Christmas spirit! Plus, they were inspired by everyone’s favorite Christmas movie (Elf, of course), so that makes them even more perfect for the season!

Ingredients
20 hard Jolly Ranchers of other colourful hard candies
2 ½ cups of flour
16 tbsp butter, softened
¾ cups sugar
1 oz of cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla

Directions
1. Smash up the hard candies by separating the colours into groups and place each colour group into a plastic bag. Place onto a cutting board and then cover with a tea towel. Using a hammer or rolling pin, crush up the candies. (It gets pretty loud so I recommend going outside).
2. Once crushed to look somewhat like chunky sugar. Pour out each colour onto a separate plate and set aside. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
3. Using an electric mixer, blend up the flour, butter and sugar until crumbly. Add cream cheese and vanilla and mix again until combined. Then using your hands gather the dough into a ball. Separate into two halves and wrap each half in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
4. Once chilled roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to 1 cm thickness. Using two cutters of the same shape (one slightly smaller) cut out the “picture frames” and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake the frames for 5 minutes before adding in the crushed candies (only about 1-2 tsp in each) and then bake for 4-5. Until the candies have melted and the cookies are a light golden brown.
6. Let cool for ten minutes before removing from the baking tray and then cool completely on a wire rack.

What do you think of this new holiday cookie recipe? Share your holiday cookie ideas in the comments section below!