Springtime Slice And Bake Confetti Cookies Recipes

SPRINGTIME SLICE-AND-BAKE CONFETTI COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line bottom of 9x5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap. In large bowl, beat sugar, butter and shortening with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until dough forms.
• Divide dough into 3 parts. Knead 1 food color into each part of dough. Press one of the colored doughs in bottom of pan. Top with remaining colored doughs, pressing each layer firmly to seal.
• Turn pan upside down; remove plastic wrap from dough. Cut dough lengthwise into thirds. Cut each third crosswise into 16 slices. On ungreased cookie sheets, place slices about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with candy sprinkles.
• Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until bottoms are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

FIREWORK SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIE

Steps:

• Knead the all-purpose flour into the sugar cookie dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 5 minutes. Divide the dough into thirds.
• Knead the red food coloring into one piece of dough, the blue food coloring into another piece and leave the third piece plain. Flatten and wrap each piece in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
• Roll each dough piece between 2 pieces of parchment to a roughly 11-by-7-by-1/8-inch rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate again, about 20 minutes.
• Stack the dough rectangles in red, white and blue order using the parchment to help you transfer them. Use the parchment to help you roll the dough stack into a tight spiral, forming an 11-inch-long log. Pour the sprinkles onto a baking sheet, then roll the log in the sprinkles so it is completely covered in them. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Cut 1/4 inch off each end of the log with a very sharp knife to reveal the swirly pattern. Cut the log into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the slices about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the cookies are crisp and just starting to turn brown on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

SANTA SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookie dough: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Add the butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed, scraping down the bowl at least once, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and 1 egg and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and continue to beat for 30 seconds.
• Remove 1/3 cup of the dough to a small bowl. Add about 1/4 teaspoon black food coloring and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 minutes.
• Add about 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring to the dough remaining in the bowl of the stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl at least once. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 minutes.
• Place the red dough on a lightly floured clean work surface and roll it into a 7-inch log with a 2-inch diameter. Wrap with plastic wrap and place back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Place the black dough on a lightly floured clean work surface and roll or flatten it into a 7-by-2-inch rectangle, 1/4-inch thick. Wrap with plastic wrap and place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl for the egg wash.
• Remove both doughs from the refrigerator. Slice the red log in half lengthwise. Lightly brush the flat end of one half with egg wash. Place the black dough onto it to adhere. Lightly brush the flat end of the other red half with egg wash and place it on top of the black dough. (If the dough softens and becomes difficult to work with, simply place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.) Wrap the log with plastic wrap and lightly roll it back and forth to round out the sides. Refrigerate the log for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Trim about 1/4 inch from each end of the log to reveal an even and flat Santa. Cut the log into 24 equal slices that are about 1/4-inch thick. Make sure to clean the knife after each slice for a clean cut so the colors won't bleed on each other. (If the log softens and becomes difficult to work with, simply place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.)
• Arrange 12 cookies evenly on each prepared baking sheet. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, 14 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
• For the royal icing: Add the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and 1 tablespoon water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high for 1 minute, scraping down the sides as needed. If the icing is too thick, add 1 more teaspoon of water and beat until combined. Transfer to a small pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (size 4).
• Pipe a white collar on the top half of the cookie. Sprinkle it with white sprinkles. Pipe buttons on the red coat and the black belt. Pipe a square buckle in the middle of the black belt.

SLICE-AND-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Set out four 12x14-inch long pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap.
• Cream shortening, white sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in vanilla extract and eggs until light and fluffy.
• Mix together flour and baking soda in a separate bowl until well combined. Gradually add flour mixture into the egg mixture, stirring until blended.
• Divide dough into 4 pieces and form each piece into an 8 to 10-inch roll. Wrap rolls in prepared waxed paper or plastic wrap and place in the freezer until ready to bake.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove dough from freezer and cut into 1-inch thick slices. Cut each slice into quarters and roll each piece into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet and use a fork to flatten with a nice crisscross design.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on racks.

SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in 1-1/2 cups "extras". Shape into a 15x2-in. roll; wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Chill 2 hours or up to 1 week. , To bake, cut into 1/2-in. slices. Place 3 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; remove to wire racks.