Snow Globe Christmas Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie

• 2.5 cups premium flour + extra for working with the dough
• 1 tbsp gingerbread spice mix
• 0.5 tsp of soda
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 220 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 12 clear mint candies

Glaze and filling

• 450 g powdered sugar (about 3 and 3/4 cups)
• 2 tbsp. dry egg white
• 5-6 tablespoons of water
• White sprinkles of various shapes (or other festive sprinkles) for the filling

Preparation:

1. Bake some cookies:
   
   In a medium bowl, combine the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and molasses with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Fold in the flour mixture in two additions and knead until smooth. Divide the dough in half and place it on 2 large pieces of plastic wrap, flatten it into discs, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough to firm up, at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats; set aside.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to a thickness of about 0.5 cm. Using a 9 cm round cutter, cut out circles from the dough. Place them 4 cm apart on the prepared baking sheets; cut a small circle in the center of each circle using a 4.5 cm cookie cutter. Refrigerate until the dough hardens, about 15 minutes. Gather the scraps and cut-out centers and refrigerate until the dough hardens; roll out and cut out circles again.
4. Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until set, 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop the candy canes in small batches in a resealable plastic bag. Remove the cookies from the oven and fill the centers of two-thirds of the cookies (about 12) with the crushed candy canes.
5. Return all the cookies to the oven and bake until golden brown around the edges and the candy filling is bubbling, 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough and candy canes. You should have about 24 candy cane window cookies and about 12 empty cookies; you'll need 2 candy cane window cookies and 1 empty cookie to assemble each snow globe.
6. Prepare the glaze:
   
   Combine the powdered sugar and egg whites in a large bowl. Using a mixer on medium speed, beat in the water until soft, glossy peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. The icing should be pliable but not runny. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the icing until ready to use.
7. Collect the cookies:
   
   Transfer the frosting to a zip-lock plastic bag and snip off the corner. Place 12 candy cane cookies upside down on the counter. Pipe frosting around the edges (avoid piping too close to the window). Place a hollow cookie on top; fill the cavities about halfway with sprinkles. Pipe frosting around the edge of the hollow cookie and place the remaining candy cane cookie on top. You should have 12 snow globes. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Use the remaining frosting to decorate the top of each cookie.