Candy-Inspired Desserts

Photo by: Jennifer Davick

Halloween Cookie Bites

These fancy slice-and-bake cookies are a breeze to make at home thanks to a little food coloring.

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Yellow food coloring
Red food coloring

1. Beat butter and sugar together at medium speed with an electric mixer 2

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Photo by: Jennifer Davick

Halloween Cookie Bites

These fancy slice-and-bake cookies are a breeze to make at home thanks to a little food coloring.

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Yellow food coloring
Red food coloring

1. Beat butter and sugar together at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Combine flour, salt, and lemon zest; gradually stir into butter mixture.
2. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces (about 1 1/4 cups each); tint 1 piece with yellow food coloring. Tint another piece orange using red and yellow food coloring. (Add 1 to 2 tsp flour to orange dough if food coloring makes it softer than other colors.)
3. Place white, untinted dough in bottom of a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan, pressing down. Top with orange dough and then yellow, pressing down. Cover and chill 2 hours.
4. Turn dough out on work surface. Cut slice 3/8-inch thick from dough. Cut each slice into 6 triangles. Place on parchment paper- or aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes.

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