Galaxy Cookies Recipes

GALAXY COOKIES

Steps:

• In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter.
• Add granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add vanilla and stir well.
• Stir in lightly beaten egg yolk. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed to evenly incorporate all ingredients.
• In separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder and salt.
• With mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add flour until well-incorporated (you will definitely need to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl several times for this, as the mixture is fairly dry and crumbs tend to settle at the bottom of the bowl).
• Transfer dough to clean surface and use your hands to form it into a cohesive ball.
• Flatten into a disk (about 1" thick), cover with clear wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350F and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Once dough has chilled, transfer it to a clean, lightly floured surface and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out to about ¼" thickness.
• Lightly flour your star cookie cutters and cut out your shapes, transferring them to ungreased cookie sheet.
• Once you have cut out all of the shapes that you can, be sure to re-combine the scraps and roll out and cut out again to get the maximum number of cookies from your dough.
• Bake on 350F for 10-12 minutes (longer if you are using larger cookie cutters) and allow cookies to cool completely before dipping
• In a large bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp milk, and light corn syrup. Whisk until smooth. If mixture is too dry, add additional milk, one teaspoon at a time until mixture can be stirred.
• Stir in extracts (be sure to taste test to ensure you are happy with the flavor!)
• Glaze should be thick, to test that it is the right consistency drop a few droplets on top of a test cookie. If the glaze remains stiff, it needs to be thinned. If it runs off the cookie, it is too thin and needs more powdered sugar. If it settles down smoothly, it is just right.
• Divide glaze into four small bowls.
• Working with one bowl at a time, use a toothpick (a different toothpick for each color) and dip it into the food coloring bottle and then into the glaze. You want a small pool of food coloring about the size of a mini chocolate chip or two.
• Drag a toothpick through the food coloring and glaze until it is prettily swirled (like a galaxy).
• Holding your cookie at the base, dip the surface of each cookie into the glaze (take a look at your first cookie -- are you satisfied with the pattern? Adjust whorls with additional food coloring as needed).
• Optional: Before glaze can harden, immediately after dipping sprinkle cookies with disco dust and silver stars. These make them look extra pretty but are not required for stunning cookies.
• Once the first bowl runs out or the colors become too muddled together from dipping, move onto your next bowl of food coloring (you will probably need to stir as the surface may have begun to harden).
• Repeat steps 5-7 until all cookies have been dipped. Allow them to harden at least 30 minutes (may take longer) for glaze to set. Enjoy!
• Keep uneaten cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

GALAXY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat over to 350°F.
• Mix thoroughly butter, sugar, vanilla, and, if desired, a few drops of food coloring.
• Work in salt and flour until dough holds together.
• If dough is dry, mix in 1 to 2 Tbsp light cream.
• Mold dough by tablespoonfuls around date, nut, candy, cherry, or a few chocolate pieces.
• Roll into balls.
• Place cookies about 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 12-15 minutes until set but not brown.
• Prepare icing by mixing confectioners sugar with light cream or milk and vanilla until smooth.
• If desired, stir in a few drops of food coloring.
• For a tasty chocolate icing, increase light cream to 3 tbsp and stir in 1 oz melted unsweetened chocolate.
• Let cookies cool, then dip tops of cookies into icing several times to get a good layer.
• If desired, immediately decorate with coconut, nuts, colored sugar, candies, chocolate pieces or chocolate shot.
• Makes 20 to 25 cookies.
• Variations: Brown Sugar Galaxy Cookies: Substitute 1/2 c brown sugar (packed) for the confectioners' sugar and omit food color.
• Chocolate Galaxy Cookies: Omit food color and stir in 1 oz melted unsweetened chocolate (cooled) into butter mixture.

SWIRLED GALAXY COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine flour and baking soda. Beat next 4 ingredients in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Divide dough into 2 equal portions.
• Place 1 portion of dough in medium bowl; tint with blue food coloring. Wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat in separate bowl with second portion of dough and purple food coloring. Refrigerate both doughs 1 hour.
• Roll out blue dough between 2 lightly floured sheets of waxed paper into 10x7-inch rectangle. Repeat with purple dough; place over blue dough rectangle. Starting at 1 long side of rectangle, roll up dough tightly into log. Wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350ºF. Unwrap dough; cut into 34 slices, each about 1/4 inch thick. Place, 2 inches apart, on parchment-covered baking sheets. Sprinkle with stars and sprinkles.
• Bake 10 to 12 min. or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 2 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.