These are just like the slice-and-bake design cookies you can buy at the store, only better tasting, and you can customize them with any design you want. All you need is some cookie dough and mini cookie cutters.
I used my Vanilla Shortbread Sugar Cookie and Chocolate Shortbread Sugar Cookie recipes to make these, but I have several recipes that you can use. I do not recommend using any cookie dough that has add-ins, like nuts or chocolate chips.
Shortbread Sugar Cookie Recipes
Cookie Dough
Prepare your cookie dough and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
You can make a single batch of each color you plan to use, or you can make a batch of dough, divide it, and dye it different colors. Be careful not to overwork your dough, as that can activate gluten production and your cookies can spread or shrink when they bake.
Center Design
- Roll out the cookie dough and cut our your center designs.
- Stack your center design cutouts. You might need to brush them with a little bit of water to get them to stick together well.
- Make sure not to overwork the cutouts to avoid them becoming misshapen. If dough becomes too warm to work with, return to freezer until firm.
- Once you’ve stacked all your center design cutouts, freeze until very firm.
Fill in Rest of Cookie
- Roll or cut out strips of cookie dough and fill in spaces around center design.
- If your cookie dough becomes too warm to work with, return to freezer.
Make sure to really work the strips of dough into the spaces around your center design, so you don’t end up with big holes and gaps in your cookies.
- Continue to add strips of cookie dough around center design until you have a log of cookie dough.
- Roll the log into a nice round shape. Roll in sprinkles or sanding sugar.
- Wrap your cookie log in cling wrap or parchment paper, and return to freezer until firm.
- You can also make dough ahead of time and freeze for up to 3 months.
I recommend wrapping in parchment paper and then in cling wrap if you are making these ahead and freezing for a longer period of time.
Slice and Bake
- Using a sharp, non-serrated knife, slice ¼″ slices from your cookie log.
- Place on parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking sheet, leaving 1″ between each cookie.
- Bake at 350°F for 16-22 minutes, or until edges of cookies begin to darken.
Cookies will stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or frozen in an airtight container for 1 month.
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Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- spatula
- cling wrap
- large knife
- cookie cutters optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- gel food coloring
Instructions
- Whisk dry ingredients (flour and cornstarch) together and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars with paddle attachment, on medium-low speed, until fluffy and pale in color (about 5 minutes).
- Add egg and extract and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the paddle with a spatula, and then continue to mix on low speed for another 30 seconds to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
- Add dry ingredients, all at once, and mix on low speed just until dough starts to come together and no dry bits remain. Do not overmix.
- Divide dough and dye with gel food coloring. Be careful not to overwork your dough. You can also make several batches of dough, and add food coloring when you add your eggs.
- Turn out dough onto cling wrap, wrap tightly, and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours).
- Knead, roll, cut out center designs, stack together, and return freezer until firm.
- Fill indentations around frozen center design with dough color of your choice. If dough becomes too soft, return to freezer.
- Continue adding dough around center design until it is fully surrounded. Roll log to smooth out, roll in sprinkles or sanding sugar, tightly wrap in cling wrap, and return to freezer until firm.
- Slice ¼" slices from frozen log, and place on silicone lines baking sheets 1" apart.
- Bake at 350° for ~15 minutes, turn pan, and bake for another 1-5 minutes until edges are starting to turn a golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to fully cool on cookie sheet before handling.
- Cookies will stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
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