Make these adorable 4th of July Cookies for a fun and festive treat! Just follow my sugar cookie recipe, grab some cookie cutters, and don’t forget to check out my helpful tips and tricks for creating them. Get ready to enjoy a delicious and patriotic baking adventure!
Have you noticed the trend of adding various cut-out shapes to sugar cookie dough? I experimented with blue and red star shapes and absolutely adore the final result!
This 4th of July, why not make a few fun desserts to your list? And can I suggest these adorable star sugar cookies?
Will you be hosting a fun 4th of July get-together?
With the pandemic somewhat behind us, I’m considering inviting friends over for a fun dinner and serving these adorable, festive cookies as a holiday treat.
Why You’ll Love These Sugar Cookies!
- They’re cute.
- They’re festive cookies without all the fuss.
- Your kids can help make them.
- They are yummy cookies.
- You don’t have to frost them.
- No need for a special 4th of July cookie cutter. Just use a small star cookie cutter.
- Make them ahead and save time.
- They freeze well.
You Might Want These Baking Products
Scalloped Cookie Cutters | Wooden Rolling Pin
Mini-Cookie Cutters | Parchment Paper
How to Make 4th of July Cookies
If you’ve ever whipped up some sugar cookies, then this recipe will be a piece of cake for you. The only twist is that you’ll be cutting out star shapes and mixing them into the dough.
No need to fuss with frosting, but you’ll still end up with super cute star-patterned cookies.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Butter: Softened butter is a key ingredient in sugar cookies, providing moisture and flavor. It also helps to create a tender texture in the cookies. The fat in butter contributes to the richness and mouthfeel of the cookies.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar, also known as confectioners’ or icing sugar, is used in sugar cookies to add sweetness and contribute to the texture. The fine texture of powdered sugar helps create a smoother dough and gives the cookies a softer texture when baked.
- Egg: Eggs act as a binding agent in sugar cookies, helping to hold the ingredients together. They also add moisture and richness and contribute to the structure of the cookies during baking.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds a delicious flavor to sugar cookies. It provides a warm and sweet aroma that enhances the overall taste of the cookies. Vanilla extract is a common flavoring ingredient in baking and is often used to complement the sweetness of the sugar.
- Almond Extract: Almond extract is an optional ingredient that can be added to sugar cookies to give them a subtle almond flavor. It provides a unique and pleasant taste, enhancing the overall flavor profile of the cookies. Almond extract is often used in combination with vanilla extract to add depth to the flavor.
- Flour: Flour is the main dry ingredient in sugar cookies. It provides structure and stability to the cookies by forming a gluten network when mixed with the other ingredients. The gluten helps the cookies hold their shape while baking.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is a leavening agent used in sugar cookies. It reacts with the acid in cream of tartar (discussed next) and creates carbon dioxide bubbles, which help the cookies rise during baking. This results in a light and tender texture.
- Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar is an acidic ingredient that, when combined with baking soda, acts as a leavening agent. The reaction between cream of tartar and baking soda helps the cookies rise and gives them a slightly tangy flavor. Cream of tartar also helps stabilize the whipped egg whites, if used, and contributes to the texture of the cookies.
Step-by-Step Instructions: 4th of July Star Cookies
Step 1 – Make Dough
Make the dough and separate 1/3 of the dough into two bowls. Add blue food coloring to one and red to the other. Mix food coloring thoroughly into the cookie dough. If you use your hands be ready for the dye to soak into your skin.
Step 2 – Make Stars
Roll out both the red and blue dough on parchment paper. Roll out the dough so it’s just over a ¼ inch thick. This will help it keep its shape when rolled. Place all your stars on a parchment-lined baking tray. Chill star cookies in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
Roll out the non-dyed cookie dough and set aside. This dough will be your canvas for the stars.
Step 3 – Create A Cookie Dough Canvas
Place your chilled stars on your rolled-out cookie dough. Then place a large enough sheet of parchment paper on top of your dough. Roll gently over the parchment until the stars are blended.
I found sometimes the stars will stick to the parchment paper, so carefully peel them off the paper and place them on the cookie dough.
Cut out your cookies with another round scalloped cookie cutter. If you want to have every part of the dough used, choose a square, rectangle, or hexagonal cookie shape.
Bake Cookies in a 375-degree oven for 5-7 minutes. Watch for browning.
The Best Rolled Sugar Cookie
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 2½ cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- blue food coloring
- red food coloring
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- Mix butter, powdered sugar, egg, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Blend in flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar in the sugar mixture.
- Cover and chill for two to three hours.
Shaping Cookies
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Separate 1/3 of the dough into two bowls. Add blue food coloring to one and red to the other. Mix food coloring thoroughly into the cookie dough. If you use your hands be ready for the dye to soak into your skin.
- Roll out both the red and blue dough on parchment paper. Roll out the dough so it's just over a ¼ inch thick. This will help it keep its shape when rolled. Place all your stars on a parchment-lined baking tray. Chill star cookies in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
- Roll out the non-dyed cookie dough about ½ inch thickness and set aside. This dough will be your canvas for the stars.
- Place your chilled stars on your rolled-out cookie dough. Then place a large enough sheet of parchment paper on top of your dough. Roll gently over the parchment until the stars are blended.
- Cut out your cookies with another round scalloped cookie cutter. If you want to have every part of the dough used, choose a square, rectangle, or hexagonal cookie shape.Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Bake for 5-7 minutes. Watch for brown edges and immediately remove them from the oven.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Chill Dough – Chilling the dough helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking, resulting in a better texture and shape.
- Use Good Food Coloring – I discovered that Americolor dyes offer vibrant and stunning colors, perfect for creating beautiful blue and red stars. So make sure to purchase these food dyes for these beautiful star cookies.
- The Cookie Dough Base Should be at Room Temperature – For the best results in combining the cookie dough base with the stars, I recommend rolling out the base and letting it sit for a while to soften. This will create the ideal consistency for the stars to integrate into the dough easily.
- Star Cutouts Should Be Chilled – Chill the star cutouts to keep their shapes when you add them to the softened rolled-out dough.
FAQs
When you skip the step of chilling sugar cookie dough in the refrigerator, the dough may spread excessively during baking. Chilling the dough helps to solidify the fat, resulting in cookies that maintain their shape better and have a more desirable texture.
Chilled cookie dough tends to yield better results due to several reasons. It helps the cookies maintain their shape, prevents excessive spreading during baking, and enhances the texture by allowing the flavors to meld together more effectively.
Refrigerating the dough allows it to firm up gradually and evenly, resulting in cookies with better texture and flavor. Freezing the dough is a quicker alternative, but it may affect the final texture and may require longer baking times.
Chilling cookie dough overnight helps to develop the flavors, enhances the texture, and allows the dough to firm up, resulting in better-shaped and tastier cookies.
To use up the remaining dough with different shapes and colors, simply combine and gently re-roll the marbled cookie dough.
Photo: MyPhotography.com
Tasty Cookie Recipes
If you want a few more cookie recipes, check out these:
This year, have a wonderful 4th of July celebration!
Thanks for dropping by my post on 4th of July cookie ideas. Appreciate it!
Get ready to indulge in these amazing 4th of July cookies!
Bon Appetit!
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