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Candy Centered Sugar Cookies

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PREP TIME
60 min
COOKING TIME
20 min
TOTAL TIME
105 min
SERVINGS
20 servings
Dessert
Candy Centered Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon almond extract, or more to taste
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 20 pieces fruit-flavored hard candy (such as Jolly Rancher®)
Instructions
1
Preheat your oven to the desired temperature of 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper and setting them aside for later use.
2
Combine the butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment on your stand mixer, operating it at medium-high speed. Continue blending until the ingredients are just combined and there is no need for further lightening of the mixture, approximately 30 seconds.
3
Remove any excess ingredients from the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, salt, and almond extract. Mix on a lower speed until all the ingredients are incorporated, around 15 seconds.
4
Scrape down any remaining sides and bottom of the bowl before adding half of the flour. Mix on a lower speed until just all the ingredients are incorporated, approximately 15 seconds.
5
Add the remaining flour and continue to mix on a lower speed until a dough starts to form, about 15 more seconds.
6
Transfer the dough to a clean surface that has been lightly dusted with flour, and shape it into one cohesive mass. Knead the dough three or four times to create a smooth ball, then pat it into a disc and roll it out to 1/4-inch thickness.
7
To release the cookie dough from your work surface, use an offset spatula to loosen it before cutting into shapes using decorative cookie cutters with diameters of about 3 inches.
8
Transfer the cut-out dough shapes to baking sheets, then use a slightly smaller decorative cookie cutter (with diameters of 1 1/2 to 2 inches) to cut out centers from the cookie dough shapes on the baking sheets. If necessary, use a toothpick to remove any excess dough from the centers.
9
Combine the dough centers and any remaining dough scraps, then re-roll them on a lightly floured surface and repeat the cutting procedure. (If desired, you can place any cut dough centers on a separate parchment-lined baking sheet after the first round of cutting.)
10
Place candies in separate zip-top bags, then use a rolling pin to roughly crush them into pebble-sized pieces. Fill each emptied center of cookie shapes about 2/3 full with the crushed candy pieces.
11
Bake the cookies on the center rack of your preheated oven until they have set and the candy has melted, approximately 9 to 10 minutes. If you're baking cut dough centers, reduce the baking time to about 8 minutes.
12
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets. Repeat the baking process with the remaining baking sheet, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely, about 15 minutes.