Tie-dye butter cookies: Colourful and delicious treats

Ingredients for Tie-dye butter cookies

• 210 g unsalted butter, room temperature

• 100 g caster sugar

• 7 g salt

• 2 large egg yolks

• 10 ml vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

• 300 g plain flour, plus more for dusting

• Special equipment: assorted (5 cm) cookie cutters

• 240 g icing sugar, divided

• 90 ml full-fat milk, divided

• 10 ml any colour plant-based food colouring powder

• 10 ml second colour plant-based food colouring powder

• 1 g salt

How to make Tie-dye butter cookies

1. Beat the butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, until the mixture is light and creamy, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, and beat until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.

3. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then add 250 g of flour and mix until incorporated. The dough should be semifirm and can be rolled out without chilling. If your kitchen is warm and the dough is sticky, pat it into a 2.5 cm thick disk, wrap in cling film, and chill for 15 minutes to firm up before rolling out.

4. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 180°C (fan 160°C).

5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking, until it is about 0.5 cm thick.

6. Use lightly floured cookie cutters to punch out shapes as desired and transfer them to two lined baking trays, spacing them 4 cm apart.

7. Pat any scraps into a 2.5 cm thick disk, wrap with cling film, and chill for 10 minutes if soft.

8. Bake one tray of cookies, rotating halfway through, until the edges are golden brown, about 10–15 minutes.

9. Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

10. Repeat the baking process with the remaining tray of cookies and any remaining dough.

11. Do Ahead: The dough can be made up to 1 month in advance; wrap tightly and freeze. The cookies can be baked up to 2 days in advance; store in an airtight container at room temperature.

12. In a small bowl, whisk together 125 g of icing sugar, 45 ml of milk, 2 teaspoons of food colouring powder, and half of the salt until no lumps remain. The glaze should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.

13. For a deeper colour, whisk in more food colouring powder, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the desired shade is achieved; adjust with milk if necessary.

14. Repeat the process with the second food colouring powder, remaining salt, 125 g of icing sugar, and the remaining 45 ml of milk, adjusting the intensity of the colour as desired.

15. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the first glaze into the centre of a small plate. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the second glaze over the first and use a toothpick to gently swirl the colours together; do not overmix. (For larger cookies, add 1 teaspoon of glaze to the plate for each additional inch.)

16. Gently press the top of a cookie into the glaze, then lift it up and allow excess glaze to drip back onto the plate.

17. Using a toothpick, pop any air bubbles and swirl the colours more if desired.

18. Transfer the glazed cookie to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking tray.

19. Repeat with two more cookies, adding ½ teaspoon of each colour of glaze to the plate before each cookie is dipped. The glaze will lose its swirly effect at this point.

20. Clean the plate and repeat the process, decorating cookies in batches of three until all cookies have been glazed.

21. Let sit until the glaze is set, at least 2 hours.

22. Do Ahead: Cookies can be glazed 1 day in advance. Store tightly wrapped on a rimmed baking tray at room temperature.

Disclaimer
While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.