Description
Celebrate the Fourth of July with these festive Patriotic Crinkle Cookies, featuring tri-colored red, white, and blue doughs that create cheerful, cracked tops perfect for a holiday treat. Soft, buttery, and lightly sweetened, these cookies are fun to make and even more enjoyable to share at your Independence Day gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Coloring and Coating
- 1-2 teaspoons red food coloring (for red dough)
- 1-2 teaspoons blue food coloring (for blue dough)
- Powdered sugar (for rolling the dough)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to prepare for baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined; set aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture is light, fluffy, and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next, then mix in the vanilla extract until smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing gently just until everything is combined to avoid overmixing.
- Color the Dough: Divide the dough evenly into three portions. Add red food coloring to one, blue food coloring to another, and leave the last portion plain for the white dough. Mix each portion thoroughly until the colors are evenly distributed.
- Chill the Dough: Wrap each colored dough portion tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up the dough for easier handling.
- Form Tri-Colored Balls: Remove dough from fridge. Take one tablespoon from each color, roll into small balls, then gently press the three colored balls together to form a single tri-colored ball. Roll the tri-colored ball in powdered sugar until fully coated.
- Bake Cookies: Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them to allow for spreading. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops have characteristic cracks.
- Cool and Serve: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to set, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely before serving your festive patriotic cookies.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring for more vibrant colors without altering dough consistency.
- Ensure the butter is softened but not melted for proper creaming.
- Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added to keep cookies tender.
- If dough becomes too soft while shaping, chill it briefly again before rolling into balls.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- These cookies freeze well; freeze unbaked dough balls and bake directly from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time.
