For a cookie that’s as placing to have a look at as it’s scrumptious, Zoë François’ striped sugar cookies ship playful shade and buttery taste in excellent proportion. Impressed by the slice-and-bake classics of the midcentury, François elevates the thought with precision layering, vibrant hues, and a dough that’s wealthy, aromatic, and simple to deal with. A contact of lemon zest brightens the vanilla-forward taste, whereas sanding sugar provides sparkle and crunch.

The great thing about this recipe lies in its course of: Every batch of dough is split, tinted with gel meals coloring, rolled into rectangles, and stacked in alternating layers. After chilling, the agency block slices cleanly to disclose sharp, colourful stripes, no piping or adorning required. It’s a visually beautiful cookie that feels joyful and trendy however calls again to nostalgic vacation baking traditions.

Texture-wise, these cookies are a dream: tender and buttery inside with crisp edges that give method to a satisfying chunk. They’re additionally splendidly adaptable; swap colours to match any celebration, use citrus zest for a aromatic aptitude, or add a drizzle of royal icing for a contact of glamour. Whether or not nestled into a present field or served at a cookie swap, these cheerful confections deliver prompt vacation magic.

What’s meals coloring gel? 

Meals coloring gel is a concentrated type of dye used so as to add vibrant shade to frostings, batters, and doughs with out altering their consistency. It’s thicker and extra intense than liquid meals coloring, so a small quantity goes a good distance. You’ll find gel meals coloring in baking provide aisles at grocery shops, craft shops, and on-line retailers. Standard manufacturers embody Wilton, AmeriColor, and Chefmaster. In the event you desire to keep away from synthetic colorings, attempt pure options akin to beet juice for purple, turmeric for yellow, spinach or matcha powder for inexperienced, and butterfly pea flower or blueberry juice for blue.

Vanilla bean paste versus vanilla extract

Vanilla bean paste is a thick, syrupy combination constructed from vanilla bean seeds and extract, giving it a wealthy taste and visual specks. Vanilla extract is a liquid made by steeping vanilla beans in alcohol. Paste provides a extra intense, fragrant style, whereas extract blends simply into liquids.

Notes from the Meals & Wine Take a look at Kitchen

• Chill the dough totally for not less than two hours to get the simplest even stripes when slicing.
• Use gloves when mixing meals coloring to keep away from staining your arms.
• Chopping the cookies to a 1/4-inch thickness provides the perfect texture of crisp edges and tender facilities.

This recipe was developed by Zoë François; the textual content was written by Breana Killeen.