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rainbow cookies
Kathryn Coyle

Rainbow Cookies

Easy rainbow cookies made with a simple cookie base and colourful icing. A fun, family-friendly bake that’s perfect for parties, pride, celebrations, or baking with kids.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 10
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: batch cook
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cookies
  • 100 g unsalted butter softened
  • 100 g light brown sugar
  • 30 g caster sugar (white sugar)
  • 1 large egg
  • 100 g plain flour
  • 100 g self raising flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt optional
  • 200 g chocolate chopped (optional)
For the Decoration
  • Few drops red food colouring
  • Few drops blue food colouring
  • Few drops yellow food colouring
  • 250 g unsalted butter softened
  • 500 g icing sugar powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer optional
  • 1 large mixing bowl
  • 1 mixing spoon
  • 1 weighing scales

Method
 

To make the Cookies
  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer or electric mixer), beat the softened butter with the light brown sugar and caster sugar until combined.
  3. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl so everything mixes evenly.
  4. Mix in the egg and beat until smooth.
  5. In a separate bowl, combine the plain flour, self-raising flour, baking powder, and salt.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. 
  7. If you are using chocolate chunks, gently fold through the chocolate so they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.
  8. Use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop for evenly sized cookies I use 2 standard size ice cream scoops for each cookie.
  9. Place dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space for spreading.
  10. Bake for 10–12 minutes, depending on your oven temperature. I usually bake for 10 minutes and add 1-2 minutes if my dough is frozen
For the Rainbow Decoration
  1. Add the softened unsalted butter to a bowl and use the stand mixer. Gradually combine the icing sugar, a splash of milk, and vanilla extract) until smooth and fluffy.
  2. Split the buttercream evenly into 7 small bowls, one for each colour of the rainbow including the white for the clouds.
  3. To create your colours start with the three primary colours, red, blue and yellow.
  4. To make orange mix red and yellow.
  5. For green mix blue and yellow.
  6. To make purple combine red and blue.
  7. Adjust shades gradually and add the food colouring a tiny drop at a time and mix well. This helps you control the tone and avoid overly strong colours.
  8. Use immediately, or cover each bowl with plastic wrap to prevent drying.
  9. Transfer each colour into 7 small piping bags and snip a small end off each bag
  10. Cut each cookie into halves and pipe the colours separately onto the cookie in a rainbow shape. Pipe the clouds last over the top of the rainbow at the bottom

Video

Notes

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days