Hidden Rainbow Cookies (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the Cookie Dough

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
02 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
03 - 1 cup sugar (200g)
04 - 1 large egg, room temperature
05 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
06 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
07 - 2-3 tablespoons milk

→ For Decorating

08 - Food coloring (red, yellow, and blue - to create all rainbow colors)
09 - Sprinkles for coating

# Instructions:

01 - Let's start by getting your butter and sugar nice and fluffy! Drop that room temperature butter into a large bowl with the sugar and vanilla. If you've got a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and beat on high for about 3 minutes. You're looking for that light, airy texture that's almost cloud-like. This step is super important - it's creating tiny air pockets that'll give your cookies that perfect texture!
02 - Now crack in your egg and mix on medium-low speed until everything's well combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula - we want all that goodness mixed in evenly. The dough should start looking glossy and smooth at this point.
03 - Add all your flour and salt to the bowl. Start mixing on low speed so you don't end up wearing a flour cloud (been there, done that!). Once most of the flour is incorporated, you can bump it up to medium just until everything comes together. Be careful not to overmix here - that can make your cookies tough instead of tender.
04 - Pour in about 2-3 tablespoons of milk and mix on low speed until it's fully absorbed into the dough. This adds just the right amount of moisture to make your cookies perfectly soft. Your dough should now be smooth and pliable but not sticky - just right for creating our rainbow magic!
05 - Here comes the fun part! Use a 3 tablespoon ice cream scoop to portion out small amounts of dough for coloring. For each rainbow color, add a couple drops of food coloring and mix it in using your hands (food-safe gloves are great here!) or a small rubber spatula. Start with red, then make orange (red+yellow), yellow, green (yellow+blue), blue, and purple (blue+red). After coloring all your rainbow portions, you should have about 1/3 to 1/2 of the dough still uncolored - that's perfect because it'll be the outside of our cookies!
06 - Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the uncolored dough and flatten it between your palms into an oval about the length of your palm. Then take about 1 teaspoon of each colored dough, starting with red, and place them in a row along one edge of the flattened dough. Line up each color right against the previous one - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple - until you reach the other edge. Now carefully fold and roll the uncolored dough up and around to completely cover your rainbow of colors. Give it a gentle roll between your palms to make a nice ball.
07 - Roll about 3/4 of each dough ball in sprinkles (leaving the bottom uncoated). Place them sprinkle-side up on your baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Once all your cookies are formed and sprinkled, pop the whole baking sheet in the refrigerator for 2 hours. This chilling step is crucial - it helps the butter firm up so your cookies keep their shape and don't spread too much during baking.
08 - When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F. Take your chilled cookies straight from the fridge to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. You're looking for just a hint of golden brown around the bottom edges - don't overbake or you'll lose that soft, chewy center! Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

# Notes:

01 - These fun cookies hide a colorful rainbow surprise inside that's revealed with every bite - perfect for parties, bake sales, or brightening someone's day!
02 - The key to vibrant colors is starting with a small amount of dough for each color and using gel food coloring rather than liquid if possible.
03 - Don't skip the chilling step! It's crucial for preventing the cookies from spreading too much and keeping your rainbow design intact.
04 - You can easily create all six rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple) using just red, yellow, and blue food coloring by mixing them together.

Back