Description
Layered white/cream, orange, and yellow sugar cookie dough slices bake into clean candy-corn stripes. Finish with a light sugar sparkle (or optional sprinkles) for an easy Halloween look—no piping, stencils, or advanced icing.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: 2 1/2 cups (300 g)
- Unsalted butter, softened: 1 cup (226 g)
- Granulated sugar: 1 cup (200 g)
- Large egg: 1 (about 50–60 g)
- Vanilla extract: 2 tsp (10 ml)
- Almond extract (optional): 1/4 tsp (1.5 ml)
- Baking powder: 1/2 tsp (2 g)
- Fine salt: 1/2 tsp (3 g)
- Gel food coloring: white/cream (small amount), orange (small amount), yellow (small amount)
- Coarse sugar sparkle (optional): 2–3 tbsp (25–35 g) coarse sugar or sanding sugar
- Optional sprinkles (optional): 1–2 tbsp (10–20 g) Halloween-color nonpareils or jimmies
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy, about 1–2 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using). Mix until combined.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until a soft dough forms (no dry pockets).
- Divide and dye: Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Color them white/cream, orange, and yellow with gel food coloring. Mix each portion until the color is even.
- Roll to layers: On parchment, roll each color into a rectangle about 8 x 10 in (20 x 25 cm) and roughly 1/4 in (6 mm) thick. (Trim edges only if needed so they stack neatly.)
- Stack tightly: Place the white/cream rectangle down first, then orange, then yellow. Press gently to adhere. If you want a classic candy-corn stripe look, keep the layers flat and aligned.
- Form a log or block: Roll into a tight log (like a jelly roll) or leave as a flat block, depending on your preferred slice shape.
- Chill: Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or 20–30 minutes in the freezer if you’re in a rush).
- Heat oven: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Slice: Cut cookies into 1/4–1/3 in (6–8 mm) thick slices. If the edges smear, chill the log/block 10 minutes more and use a sharp knife.
- Add sparkle: Lightly sprinkle or press the tops into coarse sugar sparkle (or add a few optional sprinkles). Keep topping light so stripes stay visible.
- Bake: Bake 9–12 minutes, until edges look set and very lightly golden. Centers should look slightly underdone when they first come out.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Serve: Enjoy once fully cooled for the best slice-and-eat texture.
Notes
• Gel food coloring is strongly preferred to keep the dough from getting wet.
• If your dough feels sticky after dyeing, chill 10–20 minutes before rolling.
• For the cleanest stripes, chill until firm and slice with a steady, single motion.
• Doneness cue: edges lightly golden; centers set but not dry-looking.
• This recipe uses a simple sugar cookie base. Colors will naturally deepen slightly as they bake.