Slice-and-bake firework cookies you’ll ooh and ahh over

These red, white and blue slice-and-bake cookies that look like fireworks are surprisingly easy to make and taste so much better than store-bought.

You can buy colored sugar in the baking aisle, but I find it’s much cheaper to make your own for these cute and colorful cookies.

Start by making the cookie dough. This recipe uses egg whites instead of whole eggs to make the dough white rather than yellow.

Spread the dough out between 2 pieces of plastic wrap on a cutting board, rolling it into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, mix up your red and blue sugars. Add gel food coloring to the sugar, and mix really well with a fork until it’s uniform and bright in color.

Pull out the dough, and remove the top piece of plastic wrap. Sprinkle the dough with patches of red and blue sugar. Maybe it’s because I read a lot to my toddler, but doesn’t it look like a Seussical character?

Now start at one end, and use the plastic wrap to help you roll the dough tightly. Wrap the log in the plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. You can also refrigerate it overnight.

Unwrap the log, and use a sharp knife to slice off sections about 1/2 inch thick.

Spread the cookies out on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake for about 15 minutes at 325 degrees F, until the edges just start to turn golden. These cookies will keep in an airtight container for several days and are perfect for eating while watching fireworks.

Slice-and-bake firework cookies

For this cookie recipe, you really want white dough to contrast with the red and blue sugar. If you can’t find white salted butter, you can sub coconut oil plus 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. You can save time on July 4th by making the rolled log of dough in advance and keeping it wrapped in the fridge up to three days before slicing and baking.

Serves 20

Prep time: 10 minutes | Inactive time: 1 hour | Bake time: 15 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients:

For the cookie dough

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large egg whites

For the sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
• Red gel food coloring
• Blue gel food coloring

Directions:

1. Into a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Mix in the egg whites.
4. Mixing on low speed, add the flour mixture just until it is incorporated and a soft, smooth dough forms.
5. Spread the dough out between 2 pieces of plastic wrap on a cutting board, rolling it into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, and then refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes.
6. While the dough is chilling, mix up your sprinkles by dividing the granulated sugar into 2 bowls and using a fork to whisk blue gel into one and red into the other.
7. Pull out the dough, and remove the top piece of plastic wrap.
8. Sprinkle the dough with patches of red and blue sugar.
9. Starting at one end, use the plastic wrap to help you roll the dough tightly. Wrap the log in the plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
10. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment.
11. Unwrap the log, and use a sharp knife to slice off sections about 1/2 inch thick. Spread the cookies an inch apart on the baking sheet.
12. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the edges just start to turn golden, and then place on a wire rack to cool.

More creative cookie recipes

Child’s handprint sugar cookies
A frosted letter to Mom from the kids
Gingerbread reindeer cookies