Description
Delight in these vibrant and fun Rainbow Sugar Cookies, featuring a soft, buttery texture with a perfect vanilla sweetness. Colored with gel food coloring, these cookies showcase a beautiful swirl of rainbow hues, making them ideal for parties, celebrations, or simply brightening up your day with a colorful treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Additional Ingredients
- Gel food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
- Optional: Sprinkles or sanding sugar for decoration
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined, then set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together using a mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Incorporate the large egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture and beat until the ingredients are fully combined and smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing gently until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Divide and Color Dough: Split the dough evenly into six portions. Tint each portion with a different gel food coloring — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple — kneading each until the color is fully incorporated.
- Form Rainbow Log: Roll each colored dough piece into a log. Place the logs side-by-side and gently press together, then twist and roll the combined logs to create a rainbow swirl effect, being careful not to overmix to preserve distinct colors.
- Chill Dough: Wrap the rainbow dough log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight to firm up the dough for easier slicing.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Slice and Decorate: Slice the chilled dough log into 1/4-inch thick rounds and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart. If desired, gently press sprinkles or sanding sugar onto the tops for decoration.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers remain slightly soft, ensuring a tender texture.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring instead of liquid to prevent altering the dough consistency.
- Chilling the dough helps maintain the swirl patterns during slicing and baking.
- Do not overmix when combining dry and wet ingredients to keep cookies tender.
- Sprinkles are optional and can be customized by color to match the rainbow theme.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
