Pastel Butter Cookies Recipes

PASTEL BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place toasted almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Add flour, salt, and cinnamon, and process until nuts are finely ground, about 1 minute.
• In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and 1 cup confectioners' sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla and beat until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add almond mixture and beat until just incorporated.
• Using a 1 1/2‑inch (1‑tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are just golden, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
• For each desired color, place 1/2 cup fruit with 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth and evenly tinted. (Sugars can be stored in airtight containers up to 1 month.) Place tinted sugars in small bowls and dip cookies, domed-side down, into tinted sugars to coat. Transfer to a plate and let rest, about 30 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)

THE BEST BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for a full 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through the mixing; the butter should be very light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well combined. Add half the dry ingredients and beat on low speed to combine. Scrape down the mixing bowl before adding the remaining dry ingredients and beat to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour in the bowl for drop cookies, or form into a 1-inch log for slice-and-bake cookies.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the turbinado sugar in a small bowl. For drop cookies, scoop the cookie dough with a 1 tablespoon-size cookie scoop and then dip the tops of the cookie dough balls into the sugar. Place onto the prepared baking sheet.
• For slice-and-bake cookies, cut the log into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Press the tops into the sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies until slightly puffed and lightly golden on the bottom, about 15 minutes.

PASTEL BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until golden and fragrant, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Transfer almonds to the bowl of a food processor; add flour, salt, and cinnamon. Process until nuts are finely chopped, about 1 minute.
• Beat butter with confectioners' sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla; beat until combined. Slowly add almond mixture; beat on low until just incorporated.
• Line baking sheets with parchment. Using a 1 1/2-inch (1-tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop dough onto prepared sheets. Bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are just turning golden, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer sheets to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• For each desired color, place 1/2 cup fruit with 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar in food processor; blend until smooth and evenly tinted. (Sugars can be stored in airtight containers up to 1 month.) Sift tinted sugar over cookies as desired. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

PASTEL TEA COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours or until dough is easy to handle., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. butterfly or flower cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool., For glaze, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and meringue powder; stir in water until smooth. Divide among small bowls; tint pastel colors. Spread over cookies; let stand until set.

BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Using a cookie press fitted with a heart disk, press dough 1 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake until set but not brown, 6-8 minutes. Cool on wire racks., For frosting, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach a spreading consistency. If desired, tint with food coloring. Decorate cookies as desired.

PASTEL JELL-O COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Mix flour and baking powder. Beat butter in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar and 1 pkg. gelatin; beat until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Flatten with bottom of glass. Sprinkle with remaining dry gelatin mix.
• Bake 8 to 10 min. or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 3 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

FRUITY PASTEL COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and gelatin powder until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Using a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice, press dough 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. , Decorate as desired with colored sugar and/or sprinkles. Bake at 400° for 6-8 minutes or until set (do not brown). Remove to a wire rack to cool.