Though ambitious cooks may prefer to bake strictly from scratch, most stained glass cookie recipes call for the use of store-bought fruit-flavored hard candies for the "windows." Various kinds of
cookie dough may be used, but the process is fairly uniform, regardless of the recipe:
- Make or buy cookie dough.
- Flatten and form the dough into shapes with empty centers (either using a knife, or cookie-cutters).
- Crush the hard candy inside a plastic bag, using a rolling pin or heavy metal spoon.
- Fill the empty "window" in each unbaked cookie with the crushed candy.
- Bake until the candy centers are melted and the dough is firm and golden brown.
- Cool the cookies, in order to allow the "glass" to set.