![Southern Living Tie-Dye Glazed Ornament Cookies on a cooling rack ready to serve](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.southernliving.com/thmb/EhBur16Ow6rrA62JCObuO_8cxCU=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/27429_Christmas-Cookies_033-078f4f41581e483b91f4b336ebb4a494.jpg)
Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Ginny Branch; Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall
If piping royal icing really isn’t your thing, or fussing with intricate sprinkle designs drives you a little nuts, then this just might be your new favorite Christmas cookie. This marbled icing method produces a showstopping cookie with very little effort. It’s also a fun decor idea to do with kids.
While we stick with a single marbling color for simplicity, you can play around with multiple colors to achieve your desired tie-dyed look (although the glaze will get muddled faster.)
The painted gold luster dust detail, although optional, is the kind of extra special touch that really takes these "ornaments" to the next level. As for the cookie itself, we use a super simple vanilla dough. It’s a breeze to work with, just be sure to let the refrigerated dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to make rolling easier.
Ingredients
Vanilla Bean Dough:
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1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
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1 cup unsalted butter, softened
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1/4 cup granulated sugar
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1 large egg, at room temperature
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2 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
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1/2 tsp. almond extract
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3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
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3/4 tsp. baking powder
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1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Cookie Glaze:
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3 cups powdered sugar
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3 Tbsp. light corn syrup
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1 tsp. vanilla extract (clear, if possible)
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1/4 tsp. kosher salt
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3-4 Tbsp. whole milk, divided
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Teal, Christmas red, or leaf green food coloring gel
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Gold luster dust (optional)
Directions
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Prepare Vanilla Bean Dough:
Beat powdered sugar, butter, and granulated sugar with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed just until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-low; beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Beat in egg, vanilla bean paste, and almond extract until combined, 15 to 30 seconds.
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Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat just until dough comes together, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
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Divide dough in half; shape each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days before using.
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Roll half of Vanilla Bean Dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove top piece of parchment paper. Cut dough using lightly floured 2 1/2- to 3 1/2-inch ornament cookie cutters; do not remove scraps. Transfer cut dough on parchment paper to a baking sheet; freeze until firm, about 5 minutes. Place cut dough shapes at least 3/4 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Reroll, cut, and chill dough scraps as needed. Repeat process with remaining dough half.
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Bake in preheated oven, 1 pan at a time, until edges are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes; transfer cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
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Prepare Cookie Glaze:
Stir together powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and 3 tablespoons of the milk in a medium bowl until combined. Stir in up to remaining 1 tablespoon milk, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached (thinner for Tie-Dye Glazed Ornament Cookies).
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Decorate Cookies:
Place 1/2 cup Cookie Glaze in a medium bowl; set aside. Divide remaining glaze among 2 small bowls. Stir desired food coloring gel into 1 bowl of Cookie Glaze, adding until a deep shade is reached. Stir a smaller amount of the same food coloring gel to second bowl, adding until a lighter shade is reached. Transfer each tinted glaze to a piping bag; cut a 1/4-inch hole in each tip.
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Make a crosshatch pattern in reserved plain Cookie Glaze by drizzling thin lines of deep shade of glaze and topping with thin lines of lighter shade.
Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Ginny Branch; Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall
Dip top of a cooled cookie into pattern in bowl; twist and pull up, letting excess drip off.
Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Ginny Branch; Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall
Place cookie, glaze side up, on a wire rack; wipe edges as needed. Repeat process with remaining cookies, adding tinted glaze in crosshatch pattern into bowl as needed.
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Let cookies stand until set, about 4 hours. Using a clean paintbrush, decorate tops of cookies with luster dust, if desired. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.