Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

How to Make Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

1. 1

   Step 1: Make the sugar-cookie dough

   Active 12 min · Passive 30 min

   In a large bowl, cream 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 3–4 minutes). Beat in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla until combined. Stir in 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until a soft dough forms; if dough is sticky, add 1–2 tablespoons more flour. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm (this chilling time helps the cookie keep its shape when cut).

   For this step

   • 1 cupUnsalted butter, softened
   • 1 cupGranulated sugar
   • 1 largeLarge egg
   • 1 teaspoonVanilla extract
   • 3 cupsAll-purpose flour
   • 1 teaspoonBaking powder
   • 1/2 teaspoonSalt
   
2. 2

   Step 2: Roll, cut and arrange cookies

   Active 12 min · Passive 10 min

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly flour a work surface and roll the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch (6 mm) thickness; cut into rounds about 2.5 inches (6 cm) across — this recipe yields about 24 cookies. Transfer cookies to lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart, and chill on the sheet for 10 minutes to firm the edges (this keeps them from spreading).
   
3. 3

   Step 3: Bake until edges are set

   Active 4 min · Passive 24 min

   Bake the cookies on the middle rack until the edges are just set and the bottoms are lightly golden, about 10–12 minutes per batch; depending on your oven you may bake in 2 batches for 24 cookies. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely before decorating (cooling prevents icing from sliding).
   
4. 4

   Step 4: Tint icing and decorate like candy corn

   Active 18 min · Passive 20 min

   Spoon the white decorating icing into three small bowls. Tint one bowl a soft yellow and one bowl a bright orange with gel food coloring, leaving one bowl white. For a simple candy-corn look, spread a layer of yellow on the bottom third of each cookie, orange in the middle third, and leave the top third white; work quickly and use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the bands. Allow icing to set and dry for about 20 minutes before stacking or packing; for fully set icing let cookies dry at room temperature about 1 hour (cookies will keep the candy-corn look well).

   For this step

   • 1 12 oz tubStore-bought white decorating icing (tub)
   • 2 tubesGel food coloring (yellow and orange)
   

1. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 3–4 minutes). Beat in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla until combined. Stir in 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until a soft dough forms; if dough is sticky, add 1–2 tablespoons more flour. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm (this chilling time helps the cookie keep its shape when cut).
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly flour a work surface and roll the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch (6 mm) thickness; cut into rounds about 2.5 inches (6 cm) across — this recipe yields about 24 cookies. Transfer cookies to lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart, and chill on the sheet for 10 minutes to firm the edges (this keeps them from spreading).
3. Bake the cookies on the middle rack until the edges are just set and the bottoms are lightly golden, about 10–12 minutes per batch; depending on your oven you may bake in 2 batches for 24 cookies. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely before decorating (cooling prevents icing from sliding).
4. Spoon the white decorating icing into three small bowls. Tint one bowl a soft yellow and one bowl a bright orange with gel food coloring, leaving one bowl white. For a simple candy-corn look, spread a layer of yellow on the bottom third of each cookie, orange in the middle third, and leave the top third white; work quickly and use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the bands. Allow icing to set and dry for about 20 minutes before stacking or packing; for fully set icing let cookies dry at room temperature about 1 hour (cookies will keep the candy-corn look well).