Garden Seeds and Honey Bees

Colorful Cookies

Two Baking sheets (1/2 baking sheets) with baking mats (Silpats etc…) or parchment paper

Ingredients:

*1/4 cup Butter, room temperature

*4 ounces Cream Cheese, room temperature

*1 cup Sugar

*1 Egg

*2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

*1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

*1 teaspoon Sea Salt

*3 and 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour

*1 teaspoon Baking Powder

*1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

*Gel Food Coloring of your Choice we used: Red and Black. Add a small amount at first and then add more as needed.

*Sugar Crystals or Wilton’s Sprinkles White Sparkling Sugar or Colorful Sugars/Sanding Sugars (We used Sugar Crystals and Red Sugar Sprinkles/Colorful Sugar, for rolling

Instructions:

Preheat oven 375*F.

Cream together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, on medium speed cream the Butter, cream cheese and sugar until light yellow in color. Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Then mix in on low add the vanilla, almond and salt.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl. Slowly add to the wet mixture and mix just until combined.

Divide the cookie dough into 3 sections and add desired color to each dough ball. I left one dough ball plain for the white. Wear food safe disposable vinyl gloves so that the food coloring won’t dye your hands. Refrigerate for 30 minutes if desired to firm slightly, I used dough right away my kitchen was cool and my dough was to soft so adjust refrigerated time as needed.

Roll each dough color into “snakes” about 1 inch wide then as long as the 1 inch thickness will allow. Then cut each snake in half and then into 2 inch pieces. Lay each 2 inch piece (Black) of dough next to another 2 inch color (Red) and then the (white) 2 inch color. You could try to add another color but 2 to 3 colors seemed to be just enough. See below pictures more visual instructions.

Stretch the combined “snake rolls” slightly, then twist them two times in the same direction and then roll into balls and then roll into the sugars of choice. Press cookie slightly on to cookie sheet or for football shape, place cookie football cutter on baking sheet and press dough lightly into the football cookie cutter. Repeat for each cookie. Place 4 to 6 for (1/4 baking sheet) 9 cookies on 1/2 baking sheet depending on the size of baking sheet you use and the size of cookies. Cool slightly, best eaten when warm.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly brown on the bottom.

Recipe adapted from Molly Yeh Tie-Dye Cookies