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Shortbread Biscuits are buttery, crumbly and they melt in the mouth. They are more widely known as ‘Shortbread Cookies’ in America and other countries. Whichever term you prefer to use, they are undoubtedly delicious and irresistible. So, for Valentine’s day, I baked these pretty heart-shaped Stained Glass Shortbread Biscuits. They’re also perfect for Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day or any other holiday, all you have to do is change the shape of the cutter.

The stained glass effect is made by crushing candy and placing them in the heart-shaped cut out in the centre. While baking, it melts into a smooth layer. Once it cools, it hardens into the glass-like texture that you see here. The final result resembles Linzer Cookies, where two almond-flour cookies are sandwiched together with jam which peaks out from the cut out.

These stained glass shortbread biscuits are perfect for gifting to loved ones. Simply pile a few on top of each other in a stack, wrap neatly in clear cellophane and tie off with a red ribbon. You can also place them in a small gift box. Either way, they will surely be appreciated.

They can be shaped differently using different cutters and baked for other occasions, not just Valentine’s day. You can re-purpose this recipe for Easter by using an egg-shaped cutter or for Christmas by using star or tree-shaped cutters.

As always, let me know if you make these, I’d love to see!

Happy indulging,

Kim x

For more Holiday recipes, click here.

Yield: 18 large biscuits

Stained Glass Shortbread Biscuits Recipe

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Stained Glass Shortbread Biscuits are buttery, crumbly and they melt in the mouth. The stained glass effect using crushed candy makes them even prettier.

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 8 minutes

Chill Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 38 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp cherry brandy (optional)
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 40g candy of choice
• 1 tsp liquid red food colouring, optional

Instructions

1. Whisk butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Pour in vanilla and cherry brandy. Whisk. Sift in the flour and salt. Stir together until combined.
2. Use your hands to form the dough if preferred. Do not knead. Divide the dough into two and wrap each in clingfilm. Chill for 1 hour until the dough is firm.
3. Prepare candy by crushing them with a rolling pin or cutting them in half. Pour in some food colouring for more opacity, if needed. Line 1-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Take out the dough. Dust work surface with flour. Roll out to around 5mm / 0.2" thickness. Using a heart cutter, cut out as many biscuits as you can. Then, cut out the small heart from the middles.
5. Transfer each biscuit to the prepared baking sheets, 3cm / 1.2" apart. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Do not skip this step as they might turn out lumpy or spread.
6. Preheat oven to 180°c / 350°F. Take the baking sheet out of the fridge. Fill the cut outs with the crushed candy. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack. They will get crunchier once they're cool.
7. Enjoy!

Notes

• Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place. Do not refrigerate. The raw dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.
• I used 'Halter' Cherry sugar free candy mixed with a little food colouring, but any hard candy or even translucent lollipops should work just fine.
• If you want to keep the small heart cut outs, this recipe makes around 13 large biscuits and 15 small ones. Small biscuits are baked for the same amount of time at a very slightly lower temperature.
• Tip: Powdered sugar is used in this recipe as it contains corn starch, which prevents spreading.