Easy-To-Make Candy Corn Cookies

I love complicated and elaborate desserts. Something that really makes people say “Wow!” But sometimes, I don’t have the time (or energy) to put together such a dessert. Or sometimes I’m putting together multiple desserts and they just can’t all be “wowers” (hey, a girl’s gotta have a life outside of baking too!). It’s times like those, that I turn to simple cookies, like a candy corn-inspired swirl cookie!

Candy Corn Swirl CookiesYields about two dozen cookies

2 sticks (226 grams) butter, softened1 cup granulated sugar1 large egg1 tsp. baking powder1 tsp. vanilla extract2 1/2 cups all purpose flourFood coloring in yellow and orange

This recipe is super easy, but keep in mind that it needs at least an hour for refrigeration. To start, cream the butter in a large bowl until it’s soft and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and mix until the sugar is completely integrated with the butter. Add the egg, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Mix until creamy and all ingredients are combined. One cup at a time, add the flour, mixing between each new addition. The dough should be pliable but not sticky once you’ve added all the flour. If the dough is still sticky, add more flour (about 1/4 cup at a time) until the dough is no longer sticky. Separate the dough into three even parts, and color one yellow, one orange, and leave the other plain. Once you’ve gotten the dough the shades of orange and yellow you want, allow all three to firm up in the refrigerator for at least 15-20 minutes.

Once the dough is firm, roll each color out to about 1/2″ thick. Stack the doughs on top of one another with orange on the bottom, yellow in the middle, and white on the top. I like to trim mine down with a pizza cutter so the edges are a little straighter. Starting on one of the long sides, roll the dough all the way to the other side to form a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow the dough to set for about 40 minutes in the refrigerator. You want it to be nice and firm before you cut it.

Preheat your oven to 350* Fahrenheit (175* Celsius) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from it’s plastic wrap and cut it into 1/2″ thick cookies. I like to use thread to cut these cookies since it keeps the log of dough from getting misshapen by the pressure. To do this, simply slip a piece of thread under the log of dough, pull it up around the sides and over the top so that the ends are facing away from each other, and pull to slice through. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are no longer shiny on top.

Happy baking!

Sources:Sugar cookie recipe adapted from Make Bake Celebrate

This post originally appeared on The Simple, Sweet Life.