Happy Pride everyone! The month of June is Pride month in Toronto and we have one of the world’s biggest Pride parades! In celebration I’ve made some fun, little slice and bake rainbow sugar cookies. They aren’t perfect, but I think I like them more that way, because heck, who is perfect?! These cookies are so fun to make, full of cheer and can brighten any day! The sugar cookies are soft, yet a little crisp and nutty with a slight almond bite. They would also make cute St. Patrick’s Day cookies, perfect to enjoy at the end of the rainbow! My rainbow meringues would also make a fun gluten-free cookie to celebrate pride!
I’m a believer in love is love no matter your sex or race! I truly feel these events (like Pride) help bring people together and provide more knowledge and understanding. I support anyone’s choice to love whomever they want and I hope we can all come together and celebrate equality.
Last summer my aunt married her partner Sara and it was a lovely day spent celebrating them in my uncle’s backyard with close friends, family and of course home cooked food. I’m proud that I live in a country that honours same-sex marriage and know that my aunt can be happy living the life she chooses! Canada, you truly are an amazing country! Let’s celebrate Love in all forms! Happy Pride month friends!
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Full milk
- Pure almond extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Good quality gel food colouring – purple, blue, green, yellow, red
Substitution
I used almond extract in these rainbow cookies but you can substitute vanilla extract for a more basic flavour or even add lemon zest.
Love Quotes
Some beautiful words by poet rumi ~
- “Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love.”
- “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”
- “The only lasting beauty is the beauty of the heart”
Tips for Making Slice and Bake Rainbow Sugar Cookies
- Use good quality gel food colouring to achieve the colours of the rainbow. They are stronger in colour and more true to colour as well.
- Make sure you roll the log as tight as possible, if you have gaps between each colour you’ll end up with holes in your rainbow.
- Try and keep your log as round as possible while it firms up in the refrigerator. I typically set a timer and every 15 minutes or so go back and give the log another roll to help keep its shape.
- Use a good quality, large sharp knife to slice the cookies. You want one clean cut when slicing.
- Watch your bake time, once the cookies start browning remove them from the oven as they will continue to bake once removed. The cookies will turn brown and no one wants a brown rainbow!
- Make sure not to cut the cookies too thin. Thick cookies are better and will have a softer bite to them.
How To Make Rainbow Sugar Cookies
Step One: Make your cookie dough, roll it into a log and divide it into 5 sections, making each section a little larger than the other. I used purple, blue, green, yellow and red in that order.
Step Two: Use a piece of waxed paper to help roll your dough tightly together and as a guide for length (approx. 6 to 7 inches).
Now we are going to roll everything nice and tight (like a jelly roll). First, roll the smallest dough ball (purple) in a cylinder the length of the wax paper, and set aside. Next using a rolling pin, roll out the next size of dough (blue) on the waxed paper. Then place the purple cylinder on top of the blue dough. Tightly wrap the dough around the purple so you have a larger cylinder with the purple dough inside the blue dough. Continue to do this with each colour of dough until you have one large cylinder with all the colours wrapped around each other. Use the wax paper as your guide.
Step Three: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Note: I rolled the dough a few times in the fridge to keep the shape of the cylinder. Once firm use a sharp knife and slice 1/2 inch slices down the log. Then cut each circle in half.
Step Four: Place the rainbows on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are starting to brown. Cool rainbow cookies on a wire rack.
Slice and Bake Rainbow Sugar Cookies
These slice and bake sugar cookies are full of happiness and fun to make. They are soft and light and the almond flavour gives a nutty twist to the original sugar cookie. Make the dough ahead and slice and bake later!
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 57 mins
- Yield: 40 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons full milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- food colouring – purple, blue, green, yellow, red
Instructions
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and almond extract. Beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and mix until dough forms into a ball.
- On a lightly floured work surface roll out dough into a long log. Divide dough into 5 sections making each section a little larger than the other (see images for reference).
- Using food colour, dye each section a shade of the rainbow. I used purple, blue, green, yellow and red in that order.
- Tear a piece of waxed paper approx. 6 to 7 inches. You’ll use this to help roll your dough tightly together and as a guide for length.
- First, roll the smallest dough ball (purple) in a cylinder the length of the wax paper, set aside.
- Next using a rolling pin, roll out the next size of dough (blue) on the waxed paper and then place the purple cylinder on top of the blue dough. Tightly wrap the dough around the purple so you have a larger cylinder with the purple dough inside the blue dough.
- Continue to do this with each colour of dough (working from the smallest dough ball to the largest) until you have one large cylinder with all the colours wrapped around each other (see images for reference). Use the wax paper as a guide.
- Next, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to one hour or until firm. Note: I rolled the dough a few times in the fridge to keep the shape of the cylinder.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife slice 1/2 inch slices down the log. Then cut each circle in half. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are starting to brown.
- Cool cookies on a cooling rack.
Notes
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to two months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 65
- Sugar: 5.1g
- Sodium: 34mg
- Fat: 2.5g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 9.9g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 0.9g
- Cholesterol: 11mg
If you’re not familiar with how far we have come in the gay/lesbian community there’s a great article from Pride Toronto on What The Stonewall Riots Are And Why Were They So Important?
FAQ’s
A slice and bake cookie is a type of cookie that is rolled into a log and then placed in the fridge to firm up. Once the log is firm, you simply slice the dough into individual cookies.
Yes, slice and bake cookie dough freezes really well. Once your log is firm and holding its shape, wrap it in plastic and place the cookie log in a freezer bag. Or slice cookies first, place them on a baking sheet in a flat layer to freeze and once frozen add cookies to a freezer bag. Freeze cookie log or cookies for up to 2 months.
Yes, you can add sprinkles to rainbow sugar cookies. It’s best to add the sprinkles at the last minute as the dye from the sprinkles can run into the cookie batter.
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