Slice and Bake Rainbow Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (114 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons full milk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• food colouring - purple, blue, green, yellow, red

Directions:

1. In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and almond extract. Beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
2. In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and mix until dough forms into a ball.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a log. Divide the dough into 5 sections making each section a little larger than the other (you want 5 sections that gradually get larger in size).
4. Using food colour, dye each section a shade of the rainbow. I used purple, blue, green, yellow and red in that order.
5. Tear a piece of waxed paper approx. 6 to 7 inches. You'll use this to help roll your dough tightly together and as a guide for length. https://bakingforfriends.com/slice-and-bake-rainbow-sugar-cookies/ Alie Romano
6. First, roll the smallest dough ball (purple) in a cylinder the length of the wax paper, set aside.
7. Next using a rolling pin, roll out the next size of dough (blue) on the waxed paper and then place the purple cylinder on top of the blue dough. Tightly wrap the dough around the purple so you have a larger cylinder with the purple dough inside the blue dough.
8. Continue to do this with each colour of dough (working from the smallest dough ball to the largest) until you have one large cylinder with all the colours wrapped around each other. Use the wax paper as a guide.
9. Next, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to one hour or until firm. Note: Roll the dough a few times in the fridge to keep the shape of the cylinder.
10. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
11. Using a sharp knife slice 1/2 inch slices down the log. Then cut each circle in half. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are starting to brown.
12. Cool cookies on a cooling rack.

NOTES Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to two months.

Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Total Time: 57 mins
Yield: 40 cookies

Thank you Alie Romano for the recipe. Discover expert tips and techniques for Slice and Bake Rainbow Sugar Cookies at Baking For Friends.