Stained-Glass Cookies

As promised, here is the recipe for stained glass cookies.

They look very fancy and you can customize them to whatever shape you want to see.

Stained Glass Cookies

1. In a large bowl, sift together 2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Set aside.
In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat 8 tbsp butter and 1 cup sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 1 egg; beat until smooth, 1 minute.
2. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla.
3. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
4. Position two racks in oven; preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat (nonstick baking mat; set aside.
5. On a well-floured work surface, roll out chilled dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out exterior shapes using a cookie cutter or templates. With a metal spatula, transfer whole cookies to the prepared baking sheets. Using tip of a paring knife, make a cutout in center of each cookie to be filled with candy. Using a straw or the narrow end of a plain round pastry tip, cut a hole in the top of each cookie for hanging.
6. Chop the candies into 1/4-inch pieces. Sprinkle chopped candy in the center of each cookie, filling the hole. Transfer baking sheet to the refrigerator, and chill until cookie dough is firm, about 15 minutes.
7. Place the baking sheet in the oven, and bake cookies until the candy has melted and completely filled the cut-out area, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown, or the stained-glass effect will not be as brilliant and the candy centers may become bubbly, not clear.
8. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes, and then use a metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
**Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

I also have both pitted dates and some more dates that I got from my dad this week. I think you all know what this means:

DATE SQUARES!

I'll be baking these either later today or tomorrow so stay tuned....

mmmmm date squares.

Today I'm planning on making a pamphlet on stress and then going for the run to end all runs. This will probably be done through the thickest fog ever as I'm pretty sure the city of Toronto no longer exists. I can just make out the shapes of other buildings through the fog. And I'm talking the buldings directly in front of the balcony, not buildings further away then half a km.

All I keep thinking about is that story by Stephen King....

Rememberance Day

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, flyS

carce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

-John McCrae, 1915.

If you haven't already done so, take a minute or two today to think about those who have laid down their lives so that we are able to live ours freely.

Worst. Blogger. Ever. (but the workers at my placement love me!)

I know I promised to post more in the past and fell through on that promise but I can honestly say that once December hits, this blog will be back up and running like the old days.

I have 2 more insane weeks of everything being due and then I have only ONE exam in December!

So very very excited at the thought of not having to study for 5 exams.

School and work have taken over my life but I've managed to squeeze in some baking on the weekends. It's honestly such a stress reliever, I think I'd be sitting in a padded room if I didn't squeeze in a little baking when I could.

I've been baking something almost every week for the caseworkers at my placement so as a result I've made some friends.

One even said, "what are we going to do when you're placement is up?"

So sweet.

And on Tuesday in the elevator one of the front desk workers started rubbing my back and calling me Jamie, her little baker. Hahaha I love it. I've found a location where I am once again the baker supreme (insert big smiley face here).

This week I didn't bring anything in on Tuesday and the security guard was anxiously awaiting to see what I had....so I obviously used my free time on Tuesday to make something for them on Wednesday!

Choux pastry dipped in chocolate

They were a HUGE hit.

I also made some stained glass cookies but those went to John and his friends at work.

I'll post the recipe for these tomorrow. They're pretty easy to make and they look really cool. They do get stuck in your teeth very easily though.

Lastly, before I squeeze in another 15 minutes of essay writing (darn you Jane Eyre, Rochester, and Bertha Mason, darn you all right to heck) I've become slightly obsessed with the craze that's infiltrated every elementary school in Toronto:
Silly Bandz.
I'm sure these are nation-wide if not world-wide, but man I love 'em.
A woman I work with told me about 'adult' ones that she saw...kind of want to find them.
Ebay here I come.


I got the cake and the butterfly from a girl I used to babysit, and I found the shark one but have since passed it on to a friend who had none.
Gotta share the silly bandz wealth!

OH!
Also a little girl told me she had a Justin Beiber one.... what? Where do I get one!?