Tie-Dye Sugar Cookies (Print Version)

These Tie-Dye Sugar Cookies feature vibrant swirls of colored dough studded with sprinkles for a playful and colorful twist on traditional sugar cookies.

# Ingredients:

→ Cookie Base

01 - 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
02 - 1 1/2 cups (285g) granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
04 - 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
05 - 3 ½ cups (420g) all-purpose flour
06 - ½ teaspoon (2g) baking soda
07 - ½ teaspoon (2g) cream of tartar
08 - ¼ teaspoon (1.2g) salt

→ For Color and Decoration

09 - ½ cup sprinkles, plus extra for rolling if desired
10 - Gel food colors (Pink, Royal Blue, and Violet recommended, but any colors work)
11 - Extra granulated sugar for rolling (optional)

# Instructions:

01 - Start by turning your oven to 350°F. While it's heating up, grab a large cookie sheet and line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This step is super important - it prevents your beautiful cookies from sticking and makes cleanup a breeze!
02 - In a large bowl, drop in your room temperature butter and sugar. Beat them together on medium speed until they're well combined and looking fluffy - about 2-3 minutes. You want that mixture to be light and airy! Now crack in your eggs and pour in the vanilla extract. Keep mixing until everything's well incorporated and looking smooth. Don't rush this step - it's building the foundation for your cookies!
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. This quick mixing ensures all those dry ingredients distribute evenly. Now, with your mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add this dry mixture to your butter mixture. Mix just until you see the dough starting to come together, then toss in those sprinkles and give it a final mix to incorporate them. Your dough should look amazing already with those little pops of color!
04 - Here comes the fun part! Divide your dough into 4 roughly equal portions. Set one portion aside - this will stay uncolored. For the other three portions, add a different gel food color to each. I like using pink, royal blue, and violet, but feel free to choose whatever colors make you happy! Work each color into its dough portion using a spatula or your hands (if you don't mind temporarily colorful fingers). Once you've got your four different colored doughs, place them all in one large bowl. Using a spoon or your hand, give them just a light swirl together - don't overmix or you'll lose that cool tie-dye effect!
05 - Using a cookie scoop (or a regular spoon if that's what you've got), portion out balls of dough. The fun part is seeing how each scoop has a unique color pattern! Roll each ball in some extra granulated sugar or more sprinkles if you want that extra sparkle and crunch. Place them on your prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie since they'll spread a bit while baking.
06 - Slide your cookie sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. You're looking for the edges to be just set, while the centers might still look slightly soft - that's perfect! They'll continue cooking a bit from residual heat after you take them out. Don't overbake or you'll lose that wonderful soft-in-the-middle texture that makes these cookies so irresistible.
07 - Let your colorful creations cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes - they're still setting up during this time. Then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely. As they cool, you'll see all those beautiful swirls of color really stand out! Once they're cool enough to handle, it's time to enjoy your tie-dye masterpieces. They're as fun to look at as they are delicious to eat!

# Notes:

01 - These eye-catching tie-dye cookies are perfect for birthday parties, bake sales, or anytime you want to add a colorful twist to classic sugar cookies.
02 - The cream of tartar is the secret ingredient that gives these cookies their soft, chewy texture and prevents the sugar from crystallizing.
03 - Gel food coloring works best for this recipe because it creates vibrant colors without adding extra liquid to the dough.
04 - Each cookie will have a unique pattern, making these a true one-of-a-kind treat every time you bake them!

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