Best Slice And Bake Cookies Recipes

SLICE AND BAKE RAINBOW COOKIES RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Using a hand mixer or standing mixer, beat butter until creamy.
• Add powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Beat until well combined.
• Gradually, add the flour until dough is moist and holds together, but doesn't stick to your hands.
• Place dough on a cutting board and form into a ball. Cut in half, then cover one half with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Divide the other half into 6 pieces. The outer layers of the rainbow will need a little bit more dough, so make two of them slightly larger than the others.
• Dye the dough with food coloring by placing a ¼ teaspoon of dye on the ball of dough and kneading it until it is one solid color. Gloves optional but suggested.
• Starting with purple, roll the dough into a log about 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) long. This will be the center of the rainbow.
• Next, roll out the blue dough with a rolling pin until it's about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, slightly longer than the purple, and wide enough to wrap around the purple dough. Repeat with the green, yellow, orange, and red doughs. The further away from the purple you get, the wider the dough needs to be to go around the previous color, making the red dough the widest.
• Wrap the blue dough around the purple, pinching together any cracks that form, cutting off any excess dough. Repeat with the rest of the colors.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Once chilled, remove the plastic wrap, and cut the dough in half to make 2 rainbow shapes. Set aside.
• Cut the reserved dough in half, roll out to ¼-inch (6 mm) thickness, and make it slightly longer than the rainbow log.
• Place the rainbow dough in the center and wrap the plain dough around it, again, pinching together any cracks and smoothing out the surface.
• Repeat with the other halves. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
• Once chilled, remove the plastic wrap. Slice cookies about ½-inch (1 cm) thick and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the bottom has browned slightly.
• Cool on a cooling rack.
• Enjoy!

SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in 1-1/2 cups "extras". Shape into a 15x2-in. roll; wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Chill 2 hours or up to 1 week. , To bake, cut into 1/2-in. slices. Place 3 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; remove to wire racks.

EASY SLICE AND BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter, Nutella and sugars until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in chips., Divide dough in half. Roughly shape each portion into a 12-in. roll along the edge of a 12x12-in. sheet of waxed paper. Tightly roll waxed paper over dough, using it to mold the dough into a smooth roll. Place wrapped rolls in airtight containers. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour. , Preheat oven to 375°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/2-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

SLICE-AND-BAKE ITALIAN RAINBOW COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and almond extract until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and gradually beat in the flour mixture until the dough just comes together.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and place each in a separate small bowl. With gloved hands or a rubber spatula, use the food coloring to tint one piece red, one yellow and one green. Starting with the green dough on a piece of parchment, shape it into a rectangle that's about 10 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide, using the parchment and a bench scraper to make the dough as rectangular and even as possible. Repeat with the yellow and red dough on separate sheets of parchment. Using the parchment to help lift the dough, carefully invert the yellow rectangle on top of the green, pressing gently to adhere. Remove and discard the parchment. Finally, use the parchment to carefully lift and invert the red rectangle on top of the yellow, pressing gently to adhere; remove and discard the parchment. Use the bench scraper to even out all the sides. Wrap the entire log of dough in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
• Trim the ends of the dough log with a sharp knife, then slice crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick rectangles. Arrange about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and refrigerate until ready to bake, at least 15 minutes.
• Bake one baking sheet at a time until the cookies are just set around the edges and golden on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the chocolate icing: Once the cookies have cooled, combine the chocolate, cream and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir with a small silicone spatula until melted and smooth, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir in the raspberry extract; let cool 5 minutes.
• Dip each cookie at an angle into the chocolate icing and coat about one-third of the way up, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Once all the cookies are dipped, wiggle a small offset spatula through the chocolate coating on each to create ripples. Let set, about 35 minutes. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

SLICE AND BAKE OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• In small bowl, mix oats, flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt with whisk; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add oat mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
• Shape dough into 16x1 1/2x1 1/2-inch log; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Unwrap dough. Using serrated knife, cut dough into 1/2-inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 9 to 11 minutes or just until edges are golden. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

SLICE-AND-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Set out four 12x14-inch long pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap.
• Cream shortening, white sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in vanilla extract and eggs until light and fluffy.
• Mix together flour and baking soda in a separate bowl until well combined. Gradually add flour mixture into the egg mixture, stirring until blended.
• Divide dough into 4 pieces and form each piece into an 8 to 10-inch roll. Wrap rolls in prepared waxed paper or plastic wrap and place in the freezer until ready to bake.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove dough from freezer and cut into 1-inch thick slices. Cut each slice into quarters and roll each piece into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet and use a fork to flatten with a nice crisscross design.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on racks.

PENGUIN SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in 1 egg and the vanilla until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
• Turn out all but 1/4 cup of the dough onto a floured surface. Add 3 drops orange food coloring to the dough left in the bowl and mix on low until evenly colored a vibrant orange. Flatten the orange dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until just firm, about 20 minutes.
• Wipe the mixing bowl and paddle clean and add 3/4 cup of the remaining uncolored dough back into the bowl. Add 4 drops black food coloring and mix on low until evenly colored a deep black. Form the black dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until just firm, about 20 minutes.
• Make the penguin's body: Roll the remaining uncolored dough into a cylinder 9- to 10-inches long and about 1 1/2-inches wide. Wrap in plastic and set aside at room temperature.
• Divide the orange dough into 3 equal pieces (these will be the feet and the nose). Roll into 3 ropes, 9- to 10-inches long and about 1/3-inch wide. Press one rope into a triangle shape by flattening the sides (a ruler is helpful for this). Wrap the orange pieces separately in plastic and freeze until hard, about 15 minutes.
• Slice through the uncolored cylinder lengthwise to make 2 long half-moons. Brush both halves on the cut side with the egg wash. Press the orange triangle rope down the center of the cut side of one of the halves. Cover with the other half and press together to seal and re-form into a cylinder.
• Make the black part of the penguin's body: On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the black dough into a 1/4-inch thick 9-by-4-inch rectangle, with the long side facing you. Use the rolling pin to flatten each of the long sides out 1 inch more so that the edges are thinner and the rectangle mounds in the center. The rectangle should be 9 by 6 inches. Brush the black rectangle with the egg wash then wrap it around the uncolored cylinder, pushing with your hands to adhere the doughs. There will be a thicker layer of black dough on top of the cylinder (the penguin's head) and a thinner layer on the bottom.
• Adhere the feet: Brush the thinner, bottom part of the black dough with egg wash and press the 2 thin orange ropes along the length of the dough about 1/4 inch apart (these will be the feet). Wrap in plastic and use the heels of your hands to form the log into an egg shape; the head should be the narrow end. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Cut 1/4 inch off each end of the cylinder with a very sharp knife to reveal the penguin face. Slice the cylinder into about 1/4-inch-thick cookies. Arrange the slices about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until crisp and just starting to turn brown on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Line another baking sheet with parchment. Melt the red candy melts in a small glass bowl in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted and smooth. Dip the top of each penguin's head in the red candy melts to make a hat; dip the heads slightly off-center for a jaunty look. Put the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Stick a marshmallow on the center of each hat for a pompom and let the candy melts harden, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the white candy melts in a glass bowl in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until completely melted and smooth. Transfer to a small resealable plastic bag and seal. Cut a very small hole in one of the corners of the bag and decorate the hat as desired. Use the white candy melts to attach 2 mini chips for the eyes. Let the candy melts harden completely before serving, about 15 minutes.

CHERRY PISTACHIO SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and oil until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture to egg mixture in 5 batches. Stir in cherries and chocolate. Divide dough in half; form into two logs, 2 inches by 8 inches; wrap in plastic wrap and freeze, 1 hour. Heat oven to 350°. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Spread nuts on a cutting board; roll logs in nuts. Cut logs into 20 slices each and arrange on baking sheets. Press cookies lightly. Bake until golden, 8 to 9 minutes; transfer to wire rack.

RAINBOW SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and gradually beat in the flour mixture until the dough just comes together.
• Divide the dough into 6 pieces: 2 large pieces (about 7 ounces each), 2 medium pieces (about 5 ounces each) and 2 small pieces (about 3 ounces each). Tint 1 large piece of dough red and the other orange, kneading the food coloring into the dough with gloved hands or a rubber spatula. Tint 1 medium piece of dough yellow and the other green. Tint 1 small piece of dough blue and the other purple.
• Using gloved hands, roll the purple dough into a 7-inch log (about 3/4-inch-thick) on a floured sheet of parchment paper; set aside. Using a rolling pin, roll out the remaining pieces of dough into rectangles on separate floured sheets of parchment paper, dusting with more flour as needed: 3 1/2 by 7 inches for blue; 5 by 7 1/2 inches for green; 6 by 8 inches for yellow; 7 by 8 1/2 inches for orange; 8 by 9 inches for red.
• Tightly wrap the blue dough around the purple log, keeping the dough in a log shape; pinch the seam to close. Continue wrapping the log with the dough: green, then yellow, orange and red. Wrap the whole log in plastic wrap; freeze until very firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Trim the ends of the dough log, then slice into 3/8-inch-thick rounds. Slice each round in half. Arrange about 1 inch apart on 2 unlined baking sheets and refrigerate until ready to bake, at least 15 minutes.
• Bake, one pan at a time, until the cookies are just set around the edges and golden on the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, put the candy melts in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe small clouds on the ends of each rainbow. Let set, at least 5 minutes.

CHOCOLATE PECAN SLICE AND BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugars and orange zest, if using, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and egg white and beat well to combine.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, kosher salt and baking soda. Stir in the chocolate and pecans.
• Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and stir just until combined.
• Divide the cookie dough into four equal pieces, roll each into a 15-centimeter (6-inch) log and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the cookie dough in the freezer for at least 4 hours or for up to 2 months.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice off as many cookies as you'd like to bake into 1-centimeter (1/2-inch) thick rounds and place on the baking sheet leaving 2 centimeters (1 inch) in between each.
• Sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt, if using, then bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

VALENTINE'S SLICE-AND-BAKE CINNAMON HEART SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer until fluffy; add vanilla extract, confectioners' sugar, ground cinnamon candies, and cornstarch and mix with hand mixer until combined.
• Incorporate flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing with your hands until all flour is used and dough comes together.
• Divide dough into halves; roll each into an 8-inch cylinder. Wrap each cylinder in waxed paper and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove dough from freezer and let thaw just until slightly softened.
• Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices and arrange onto baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until firm along the edges but not yet browned, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on racks for 5 minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely.

TIGER SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookie dough: Put 1 3/4 cups of the flour in a medium bowl and whisk in the baking powder and salt; set aside.
• Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed, scraping down the bowl at least once during mixing, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and 1 egg and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and continue to beat for 1 minute.
• Remove half of the dough and set aside. Add the remaining 1/4 cup flour to the dough in the mixer with 5 drops orange food coloring. Mix, scraping down the bowl once halfway, until well combined, about 2 minutes. Remove the orange dough to a piece of plastic wrap and pat into a 1/2-inch-thick disc. Wrap well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Add the reserved plain cookie dough back to the bowl. Add the cocoa powder and beat to combine. Remove the cocoa dough to a piece of plastic wrap and pat into a 1/2-inch-thick disc. Wrap well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Unwrap both dough discs and place on a lightly floured work surface. Cut a 2 1/2-ounce piece of dough (approximately 1 inch by 4 1/2 inches) from the orange dough disc. Cut this piece in half lengthwise to form 2 long pieces (1/2 inch by 4 1/2 inches). Roll each piece into a 11-inch-long snake, dusting with additional flour as needed, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl for an egg wash.
• Dust the work surface and your hands lightly with flour, then press out the orange dough with your hands (see Cook's note) into a rectangle approximately 5 1/2 inches by 7 1/2 inches. Repeat with the cocoa dough. Brush the top surface of the orange dough very lightly with the egg wash (don't use too much or it might ooze out) and place the cocoa dough on top, pressing down gently to adhere. Cut the stacked rectangles in half lengthwise. Lightly brush the top of one of the cocoa dough layers with egg wash and place the second stacked layer on top. Press down gently to adhere. Repeat once more, cutting down the center, brushing, stacking and pressing. Use a piece of parchment to roll the stack into a log, gently squeezing the center to elongate it to 11 inches. Transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet with the orange dough snakes and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Using lightly floured hands, gently pinch the top edge of each snake to form a triangular rope. Keeping the stripes of the dough log oriented horizontally within the log and with the orange side up, brush the top edge lightly with the egg wash. Adhere the 2 snakes along the top edge with about 1/2 inch of space between each to form the tigers' ears. Use your fingers to gently press and seal the edges of the ears to the orange side of the log. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Trim about 1/8 inch from each end of the log to reveal an even and flat tiger face. Cut the remaining log into 24 pieces, each slightly thinner than 1/2 inch. Arrange 12 cookies evenly on each parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until the cookies are firm to the touch and the bottoms and tips of the ears are just beginning to brown, 14 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
• For the royal icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a bowl with a hand mixer). Slowly add 1 tablespoon of water while beating; continue to beat on high for 1 full minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl. You're looking for an icing with a pipeable consistency. If the icing is too thick, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time.
• Transfer half of the icing to a resealable ziptop bag or disposable pastry bag fitted with a number 3 round tip. Add about 6 drops of black food coloring to the remaining icing in the bowl and beat until uniform in color. Add more food coloring as needed to get the desired black. Transfer the black icing to a resealable ziptop bag or disposable pastry bag fitted with a number 2 round tip.
• Pipe a long white triangle on each cookie to form a muzzle for the tiger; let set. Using the black icing on each cookie, pipe 2 eyes with eyebrows and a triangle on both ears. Pipe an upside down triangle for each nose with 2 curved lines for a mouth. Let sit for 30 minutes for the icing to set up and harden before packaging or serving.

COCONUT KRISPIE COOKIES (SLICE AND BAKE)

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine sugars,butter, shortening, eggs and vanilla, blend well.
• Add in flour mixture (flour,salt,baking soda), mix until just blended, add coconut, and oatmeal, blend, then add rice krispies.
• Roll mixture in 3 rolls;about 2 1/2" size, squeezing to form a solid roll, wrap in plastic wrap. (Don't stress if the rolls aren't perfectly round,cookies turn out roundish anyway). If you will be freezing for a long period of time, wrap again in wax paper and place in a freezer bag.
• Slice cookies (about 1/4") place on ungreased cookie sheet bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, until cookies are lighlty brown (if you like a less crispy cookie) or medium brown (for a more crispy cookie).
• Grab the milk and chow down.

CHRISTMAS SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• In medium bowl, beat butter, sugar, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Stir in flour and salt until dough forms.
• Divide dough into 3 parts. Into 1 part of dough, mix chocolate and walnuts. Mix cherries into another part of dough. Into remaining part of dough, mix poppy seed.
• Line 9x5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving 1 inch of plastic wrap overhanging at 2 opposite sides of pan. Spread poppy seed dough evenly in bottom of pan. Spread chocolate-walnut dough over poppy seed dough. Spread cherry dough over chocolate-walnut dough. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours until chilled.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Using plastic wrap, lift dough from pan. Cut dough lengthwise in half. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. On ungreased cookie sheets, place slices 1 inch apart.
• Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

CHERRY-ALMOND SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. In large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add flour, almonds and almond extract, beating on low speed until well blended. Stir in cherries.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 1 inch apart.
• Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks; cool 2 minutes. Roll cookies in powdered sugar; return to cooling racks.

YUMMY SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine the flour, instant coffee, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Stir together and set aside. Cream together the butter with the brown and granulated sugar, scraping the bowl once while mixing. Add the eggs, mixing one at a time, and then the vanilla. Add the chocolate-hazelnut spread and peanut butter and mix. Add the dry ingredients in increments, mixing gently after each addition. Scrape the bowl once and mix again. Add the chopped chocolate candies and pecans and mix gently to combine. Add more of either ingredient if needed.
• Spoon the dough on a long piece (or 2 shorter pieces) of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Carefully roll the dough inside the wrap, pressing gently to get it to form into a firm cylinder. Refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours, or place in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Slice off as many cookies as you'd like and lay the slices on a baking sheet. (The thicker the slices, the farther apart the cookies will need to be; they bake up flat.) Bake until nice and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

SANTA SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookie dough: 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 medium speed, scraping down the bowl at least once, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and 1 egg and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and continue to beat for 30 seconds.
• Remove 1/3 cup of the dough to a small bowl. Add about 1/4 teaspoon black food coloring and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 minutes.
• Add about 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring to the dough remaining in the bowl of the stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl at least once. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 minutes.
• Place the red dough on a lightly floured clean work surface and roll it into a 7-inch log with a 2-inch diameter. Wrap with plastic wrap and place back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Place the black dough on a lightly floured clean work surface and roll or flatten it into a 7-by-2-inch rectangle, 1/4-inch thick. Wrap with plastic wrap and place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl for the egg wash.
• Remove both doughs from the refrigerator. Slice the red log in half lengthwise. Lightly brush the flat end of one half with egg wash. Place the black dough onto it to adhere. Lightly brush the flat end of the other red half with egg wash and place it on top of the black dough. (If the dough softens and becomes difficult to work with, simply place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.) Wrap the log with plastic wrap and lightly roll it back and forth to round out the sides. Refrigerate the log for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Trim about 1/4 inch from each end of the log to reveal an even and flat Santa. Cut the log into 24 equal slices that are about 1/4-inch thick. Make sure to clean the knife after each slice for a clean cut so the colors won't bleed on each other. (If the log softens and becomes difficult to work with, simply place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.)
• Arrange 12 cookies evenly on each prepared baking sheet. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, 14 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
• For the royal icing: Add the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and 1 tablespoon water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high for 1 minute, scraping down the sides as needed. If the icing is too thick, add 1 more teaspoon of water and beat until combined. Transfer to a small pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (size 4).
• Pipe a white collar on the top half of the cookie. Sprinkle it with white sprinkles. Pipe buttons on the red coat and the black belt. Pipe a square buckle in the middle of the black belt.

SLICE AND BAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat together butter, brown sugar and powdered sugar.
• Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
• Combine flour and baking soda and add.
• Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
• Mold dough into 4 12" logs and wrap in plastic wrap.
• Store in refrigerator for at least an hour or longer, if desired.
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Cut dough into 1/2" thick slices and place on baking sheet.
• Bake for about 8 minutes or until golden brown.

SLICE AND BAKE BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl and set aside. In large bowl beat butter and sugar until lightened in color and fluffy, using an electric mixer on medium speed, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg yolks and vanilla. Add flour mixture, mixing on low speed just until flour is incorporated and soft, smooth dough forms. Divide dough into 2 pieces; form each into a log about 7 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate about 1 hour until cold and firm, or overnight. Or freeze, wrapped securely, for up to 1 month. (Defrost in the refrigerator before slicing and baking.)
• Position rack in middle of oven. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In small bowl, use fork to beat egg white until foamy, about 30 seconds. Use pastry brush to brush each log with egg white. Sprinkle the 1/3 cup sugar on strip of wax paper then roll each log back and forth in sugar to coat lightly. Use large sharp knife to cut each log into 1/4 -inch-thick rounds. Place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Press nut half into each cookie before baking, if desired. Bake one sheet at a time until cookie edges and bottoms are light brown, about 18 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 3 days.

CREAM CHEESE SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and extracts. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Shape into two 9-in. rolls. Roll each in almonds; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm., Cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 11-13 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks.