These slice and bake cookies are just like the ones you grew up with from a tube, but even better because you can make them in any design you like, and these have sprinkles!
You start by making sugar cookie dough in two colors, then make the design with a mini cookie cutter and roll it all together in a log. Then slice and bake the cookies whenever you’re ready!
Related: The Best Cookie Recipes
Make the cookie dough and dye about a third. Chill the dough for at least an hour, then roll it out and cut out your shapes.
The trick to getting crisp lines on your design is keeping the colored dough very cold at all times. If it starts to get soft and bend while you’re cutting out shapes, put it in the freezer for 15 minutes before continuing. Stack your shapes together and chill again!
Cut or roll out long strips of uncolored dough to wedge into the crevices of the cut out stack. Then wrap the stack with remaining dough and roll into a log shape. It helps if the uncolored dough is a bit soft for this step.
Roll the frozen log in sprinkles, slice and bake!
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- gel food color
- ½ cup sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Stir in the flour and salt until just combined.
- Wrap and refrigerate 2/3 of the dough. Add gel color, a little at a time, to the remaining dough and mix until the desired color is reached. Shape dough into a flattened round, wrap and freeze for at least an hour, until very cold and firm.
- Roll out the colored dough to a 1/2" thickness. Cut out shapes with a mini cookie cutter and assemble in a stack. If the dough starts to warm and soften at any point, freeze for 15 minutes before continuing. Freeze the stack of cutouts for 15 minutes or until very firm. Meanwhile, take out the uncolored dough to soften.
- Cut or roll out long strips of uncolored dough to wedge into the crevices of the cut out stack. Then wrap the stack with remaining dough and roll into a log shape. Wrap and freeze until completely solid, at least four hours.
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Thaw frozen dough for 15 minutes and roll in sprinkles if desired. Slice 1/4" cookies and bake on parchment paper or a baking mat for 9-10 minutes, until just set.
Does this not use baking soda or baking powder? It sounds delish!
This is such a fun idea and would be a great way to celebrate a birthday with the age or initials of the birthday person! Nice wow factor and looks surprisingly doable!
These look SO good! Is there a way to make them dairy free/plant based?
I would try using this recipe for the dough:
https://abeautifulmess.com/the-best-vegan-sugar-cookie/
Haven’t tested it with this method, but I *think* it would work well. Best of luck!