Hot Shades Cookies
Submitted by vickis
Sunglasses-shaped sugar cookies with crushed Life Savers melted into the lenses for colorful stained-glass centers. A fun baking project kids love.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minThese sunglasses-shaped sugar cookies are a baking project that gets kids involved from start to finish. They cut sunglasses frames from index cards to use as templates, crush Life Savers candies by color, then watch as the crushed candy melts into translucent, stained-glass “lenses” in the oven.
The cookie dough uses both butter and shortening, which makes it sturdy enough to hold its shape when cut into frames. Lemon extract gives the base a bright, citrusy flavor that complements the fruity candy centers. A short chill firms the dough so it rolls out cleanly without sticking.
Cut the lens holes out of each cookie before baking, then fill them level with crushed candy. The candy melts and fuses with the cookie frame as it bakes, creating a smooth, glossy window of color. Cool them completely on the foil-lined sheet before peeling off.
Pro Tips
- Line baking sheets with foil and grease lightly. The melted candy sticks to parchment paper and is nearly impossible to remove from an unlined pan.
- Keep the cookie frames at least ½ inch wide so they don’t break or collapse around the melted candy.
- Crush the Life Savers inside a sealed plastic bag with a meat mallet. Keep the pieces coarse so they melt evenly without overflowing.
- Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet. Moving them warm bends the candy lenses and snaps the frames.
Variations
- Use Jolly Ranchers instead of Life Savers for brighter, more intense colors.
- Mix two candy colors in each lens for a tie-dye effect.
- Cut different shapes like stars or hearts with center cutouts for a non-sunglasses version.
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large mixer bowl, beat butter and shortening together.
Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy; beat in egg and extract.
With mixer at low speed, gradually blend in flour mixture just until well-mixed.
Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, cover with another sheet, flatten into a disc and chill until firm, 15 to 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, give each child a few 3-by-5-inch index cards.
Cut each card to resemble a pair of sunglasses (just the frames, not the temples); set patterns aside.
Divide Life Savers by colors.
Place each color in a freezer-weight zipper-sealed plastic bag and crack coarsely with a tin can or meat mallet.
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Place about half the dough on a surface lightly sprinkled with flour.
Sprinkle dough lightly with additional flour and roll to about ¼ inch thick.
Lay sunglasses patterns on dough and cut around.
Cut holes for inchlenses inch out of each cookie, leaving inchframe inch at least ½-inch wide all around.
Lift cookies onto a lightly greased, foil -lined baking sheet.
Spoon crushed candy into lens holes, filling level with top of cookie.
Bake 7 to 9 minutes; let cool completely on sheets.
Comments
