Stained-Glass Ornaments

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 0.5 cup firmly brown sugar dark packed
• 3 cups flour all-purpose
• 0.8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 0.1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 6 ounces translucent candies in colors hard crushed
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 3 tablespoons butter unsalted at room temperature
• 0.8 cup unsulfured molasses 
• 0.3 cup water 

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• whisk
• plastic wrap
• hand mixer
• wooden spoon
• aluminum foil
• chopsticks

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy.
3. Add the sugar and molasses and beat for 2 minutes. Beat in the water. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Gather the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with aluminum foil.
6. Divide the dough into thirds. Divide each third into 10 equal pieces. Using your palms, roll each piece on a lightly floured work surface into a rope 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. Gently trace the design of your choice onto the prepared cookie sheets (a wooden spoon handle or chopstick works well for tracing on foil). Outline each design with a rope of dough, pressing the ends together to seal securely.
7. Sprinkle the inside of each design with the crushed candies, dividing the candies evenly among the outlined designs and creating an even layer.
8. Bake in the center of the oven or until the edges of the cookies are golden and the candy has melted, 6 to 9 minutes.
9. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets on wire racks until the candy hardens, about 5 minutes. Gently peel the foil away from the cookies and transfer to the racks to cool completely.
10. To make this cookie into a tree ornament, attach a loop made from the dough to the top of each cookie before baking. After the cookie is baked, thread a piece of ribbon through the loop and tie the ribbon in a bow. To make these ornaments at a party, prepare the cardboard patterns in advance.
11. From Very Merry Cookie Party: How to Plan and Host a Christmas Cookie Exchange by Barbara Grunes & Virginia Van Vynckt. Text copyright © 2010 by Barbara Grunes and Virginia Van Vynckt; photographs copyright © 2010 by France Ruffenach. Published by Chronicle Books, LLC.