Description
Celebrate Independence Day with these festive 4th of July Cookies featuring a delightful marbled effect in red, white, and blue colors. Soft, buttery, and sweet, these cookies are perfect for gatherings, bake sales, or a patriotic treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Additional
- Red gel food coloring
- Blue gel food coloring
- Red, white, and blue sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s at the right temperature when you’re ready to bake the cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is fluffy and light in color, which takes about 3-5 minutes. This step is crucial for a light texture.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract for flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and baking powder to ensure the leavening agent is evenly distributed.
- Mix Dry into Wet: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tender cookies.
- Divide and Color Dough: Divide the dough into three equal portions. Color one portion with red gel food coloring, another with blue gel food coloring, and leave the third plain to represent white.
- Create Marble Effect: Gently swirl the three portions of dough together carefully to maintain distinct colors, producing a marbled patriotic pattern without fully blending.
- Prepare for Baking: Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of the marbled dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them evenly. Sprinkle the tops with red, white, and blue sprinkles for a festive look.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges turn golden brown, ensuring a soft center with a slightly crisp edge.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring to avoid altering the dough consistency.
- Do not overmix the flour into the batter to keep cookies tender.
- For more vibrant colors, allow dough to rest briefly after adding coloring.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
