Pinterest Pass or Fail: Star Spangled Cookies
For our latest Pinterest Pass or Fail, we wanted something patriotic that would be perfect for the Fourth of July. Sam from Sugar Spun Run’s Star Spangled Cookies jumped out to us. Shaped as a star and bursting with color, they looked like an adorable patriotic dessert. So, we went to the Test Kitchen to try Sam’s recipe. The results? A Pinterest Pass with a few Test Kitchen tips that will make decorating easier.
What You’ll Need
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 c granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
- 3 c powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 Tbsp light corn syrup
- 3 Tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract, optional
- Red and blue gel food coloring
- Silver star sprinkles
- Luster dust, optional
How To Make Star Spangled Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Beat butter until creamed.
2. Add granulated sugar to the creamed butter. Mix until combined.
3. Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir until incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
4. Add the egg and mix until incorporated.
5. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix until incorporated.
6. Remove dough from bowl place on a lightly floured surface. Press dough into a ball.
7. Flatten dough into a disk and place in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
8. On a lightly floured surface, place dough. Using a rolling pin, roll to 1/4″ thickness.
9. Using a cookie cutter, cut dough into star shapes and place on a non-greased cookie sheet.
10. When needed, re-roll the dough and cut out additional stars.
11. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Once baked, place on a cooling rack. Completely cool cookies before decorating.
12. While cookies are cooling make the glaze.
13. Combine powdered sugar, 3 tbsp of milk, and corn syrup in a bowl. Using a whisk, mix until completely incorporated.
14. Stir in the vanilla extract and almond extract (if using).
15. Divide glaze evenly into 4 bowls. In the first bowl, squeeze 2 drops of red food coloring and 2 drops of blue food coloring.
16. Using a toothpick, swirl the food coloring to create a marbled effect.
17. Dip the top of the cookie into the marbled glaze.
18. Place on a piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle with silver stars and allow glaze to harden.
19. When the colors in the first bowl of glaze become muddled, grab the second bowl of white glaze. Add drops of food coloring, repeat the marbling process, and continue to ice the remaining cookies.
20. Repeat with additional 2 bowls of glaze until all cookies are iced. If the glaze hardens, gently stir with a spoon.
The Results: A Pinterest Pass
While we loved the flavor and ease of making the cookie dough, we did have a slight issue with the glaze. The icing glaze was a bit messy and the color results were inconsistent. Also, the colors blended together quickly and, in the end, we had about 5 cookies that really looked patriotic. The end result was still pretty and tasted amazing, just not as vibrant colors as the original recipe.
Test Kitchen Tips
- Sam’s original recipe called for dipping a toothpick into the color and putting into the glaze. We felt the color was too pale. Instead, we opted to squeeze small drops of color into the bowl which intensified the color. Then, we used a toothpick to swirl the colors together.
- Getting the glaze to the right consistency may take a few tries. We did have to add more powdered sugar to make the glaze less runny. Glaze is temperamental. If your glaze is too thick, thin it with additional milk (add 1 tsp at a time).
- Sam called for shimmer dust on the cookies. We attempted to use it, but found it to be a fail. Sprinkling from the jar created a blob on the cookies and when we tried sprinkling with our fingers the dust just stuck to our fingers. If you add the dust to the white icing before adding the colors, it may give a subtle shimmer to the cookies.