Stained-glass Christmas biscuit recipe

The lollies melt to create colourful ‘windows’. These also look lovely as tree decorations: make a hole for some ribbon before baking.

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus chilling | Cooking time: 10 minutes

MAKES

about 60

INGREDIENTS

• 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

• ¼ tsp baking powder

• 200g butter, at room temperature

• 120g sugar

• 1 egg

• 1½tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp grated lemon zest

• About 180g hard lollies in various colours

METHOD

1. Combine the flour with the baking powder and ½ tsp salt in a mixing bowl.

2. Beat the butter and sugar in a separate bowl until creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla and lemon zest. In two batches, fold in the flour mixture to make a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas mark 3 and line two baking trays with paper. Sort the lollies by colour and, separately, pulse to a fine powder in a small food processor. Transfer to bowls.

4. Lightly dust your worktop with flour, roll out the dough to about 3mm, and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes, such as Christmas trees, stars or baubles.

5. Transfer the cookies to the trays. Cut out small shapes from inside the cookies and fill these with a little of the powdered lollies. If you want to use them as decorations, also make a small hole for some ribbon.

6. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes, and leave to cool on the trays.

Recipe from New York Christmas Baking by Lisa Nieschlag and Lars Wentrup (Murdoch Books, £16.99). Order your copy from books.telegraph.co.uk