Rainbow Sparkling Sugar Butter Cookies

Lately I’ve really enjoyed making slice and bake cookies. Being able to freeze dough in a log and slightly thaw and cut when I feel like some cookies has been handy. While it doesn’t give me that instant satisfaction of eating them right away, sometimes I just don’t have the time to dedicate to mixing the dough and baking at the same time. This is a great alternative! It is also a great way to mix extra dough or simply bake only what you want at a time. These rainbow sparkling sugar butter cookies are a great example and can be made year round with different colored sugars for different holidays. Whenever you serve them, they will certainly sparkle! Because it is spring time, I went with rainbow sparkling sugars. Aren’t they fun?

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
sparkling sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
Beat in the yolks one at a time.
Stir in the vanilla.
In separate bowl, combine flour and salt.
Mix flour mixture into the creamed mixture.
Shape dough into logs about 1 and 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Unwrap rolls. Let sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes if refrigerated, longer if frozen.
Sprinkle sparkling sugars into top of dough and gently press down. If sugars aren’t sticking, allow dough to sit out a bit longer.
Cut into approximately 3/8 inch wide slices.
Place slices 2 inches apart onto parchment paper or silicone baking sheet lined cookie sheets. (Ungreased will work as well.)
Bake for 8 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven or until edges just barely start to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in air tight container.

(Makes approximately 4 to 5 dozen cookies, depending upon how thick you slice or how wide your logs.)

For this particular look, be sure to use a coarse sugar. (I used this rainbow sparkling sugar from Wilton.)

These rainbow sparkling sugar cookies have a light and buttery taste. They taste great served with coffee or tea and store well!