Cookie Art

24 Ratings
  • 5 6
  • 4 3
  • 3 9
  • 2 5
  • 1 1

Let kids play Jackson Pollock by squeezing drops of liquid food coloring onto large squares of dough and then using a straw to blow the color around. Layer colors until the abstract "painting" is complete.

Martha Stewart Kids, Holiday, Martha Stewart Kids, Holiday 2001, Martha Stewart Kids, Holiday 2001

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Recipe Summary

Yield:
Makes 12 to 16
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In large bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

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  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs.

  • Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until well combined. Stir in vanilla. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate for 45 minutes.

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Transfer rolled dough to a prepared baking sheet; chill until firm, about 15 minutes. Cut dough into large rectangles. Place the cut cookies 2 inches apart on both of the prepared baking sheets. To decorate, place a few drops of food coloring on a cookie. Using a straw, gently blow food coloring over cookie. Place baking sheet of decorated cookies in refrigerator; chill until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.

  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until edges of cookies start to brown. With a metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool.

Cook's Notes

Since this cookie is so buttery, keep the dough well chilled so it's easier to work with.

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Reviews (54)

24 Ratings
  • 5 6
  • 4 3
  • 3 9
  • 2 5
  • 1 1
Martha Stewart Member
01/29/2011
Thank you, ladies, for the great laugh your comments gave me. You made my day. My cat got scared I was laughing so hard....
Martha Stewart Member
01/21/2011
Batterdip, I have been getting the daily cookie recipe for probably three years and do not read many ot the comments...I collect cookie recipes that are new so I have seen my share of repeats. You are so right, ttoday, I actually read all of the comments and am still laughing . There is no common sense in manmy of them. Blowing is NOT spiting. Tomorrow I will be auditing the recipes again.
Martha Stewart Member
01/20/2011
After reading all of the 51 comments I am still laughing . Have you ever seen so many comments over One Cookie. . I think we all need something more in our life to keep us busy . This includes my comment I made
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Martha Stewart Member
01/20/2011
I really don't think using a hairdryer is the best idea for blowing the food coloring around . I would be afraid it might contain hair and I would be blowing it all over my cookies . The caned air sounds great but my can has a lot of pressure in it ,and would be blowing food coloring all over the place, So a straw sounds like a better chioice for me .
Martha Stewart Member
01/20/2011
Sally4th, what a brilliant idea! The canned air made for computers even comes with its own tiny straw to put in the nozzle. Perfect solution for the folks who don't have sense enough to understand that the heat of the oven would kill any germs, and that this recipe is intended for home use by children who have already shared all their germs with their siblings anyway.
Martha Stewart Member
01/20/2011
This is a great idea. However the blowing in the straw needs to be revised, you know kids tend to spit alittle. Maybe a blowdryer would work on a low setting. Dragonfly PS. I just read the comment about using canned air. Great idea!
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Martha Stewart Member
01/20/2011
You ladies should all avoid eating out at restaurants at all. Chefs and waiters talk and shout (and therefore spit) all over the food which then we all so nicely eat and enjoy. Check it out next time you eat out - you?Ǭ
Martha Stewart Member
01/20/2011
Used canned air if you don't want to gently blow through straws!
Martha Stewart Member
07/29/2010
I did this today with a group of younger children. We made sure to only serve kids their OWN cookies by drawing a diagram of the cookie sheet to remember whose was whose. We also used wax paper on the table as a work surface, and changed it (and the straw, of course) with each child so it was sanitary. No worries and they LOVED the results!
Martha Stewart Member
07/22/2010
Can we try with laying it flat on the tray and then drop the food colouring instead of blowing use the marble and create design. I will give a try and let you know.
Martha Stewart Member
07/22/2010
Can we try with laying it flat on the tray and then drop the food colouring instead of blowing use the marble and create design. I will give a try and let you know.
Martha Stewart Member
07/22/2010
Can we try with laying it flat on the tray and then drop the food colouring instead of blowing use the marble and create design. I will give a try and let you know.
Martha Stewart Member
07/22/2010
Can we try with laying it flat on the tray and then drop the food colouring instead of blowing use the marble and create design. I will give a try and let you know.
Martha Stewart Member
07/22/2010
Can we try with laying it flat on the tray and then drop the food colouring instead of blowing use the marble and create design. I will give a try and let you know.
Martha Stewart Member
07/21/2010
Good Grief people! The cookies are baked after being painted! Just like bread dough is baked after kneading! Besides, what's an immune system for? Jeez!
Martha Stewart Member
07/21/2010
Blowing on the cookie!!! Omg. This is why I never eat childrens birthday cake after they "blow" out the candles. Maybe I am sounding a bit like Howard Hughes in his last days, but eeek, I would not blow on cookies I serve, nor eat blown cookies! Oh, my.
Martha Stewart Member
07/21/2010
Try fanning with a hand held fan. You could use a small piece of cardboard.
Martha Stewart Member
07/21/2010
Martha Stewart, sometimes you never cease to amaze me. I would not even think of buying a cookie that had been blown on from a bakery. PLEASE.
Martha Stewart Member
09/15/2009
Instead of blowing on the cookie try using toothpicks to move the dye around or brand new paint brushes and then dedicate those to only to cookies
Martha Stewart Member
09/13/2009
Gently blow food coloring over cookie??? Yuck!
Martha Stewart Member
09/13/2009
So just let the kid eat their own cookie he blew on and there's no trading.
Martha Stewart Member
09/12/2009
I missed this the first time around so I will add my two cents worth this time around. Everyone is so concerned about spit on the cookies, how about sprinkling different colors of decorating sugars. I would think that would make a nice pattern and be tasty also?
Martha Stewart Member
10/28/2008
LOVE IT! Can't wait to try this one with my daughter and let you all know how it went
Martha Stewart Member
10/04/2008
You're gently blowing thru the straw, not spitting thru it. Don't you eat a birthday cake after the candles were blown out.
Martha Stewart Member
10/02/2008
I agree that using a straw to blow the food coloring might have it's shortcomings. But I'm sure that someone could come up with another way to decorate the cookie and still make it look like an art canvas. The concept sounds creative and fun - just look for another way to get the art in!
Martha Stewart Member
10/02/2008
I don't think you ladies are nuts. I don't want to eat a cookie that has been blown on by me or anyone else. I think if I made them I would skip the food coloring part, it sounds like it wouldn't taste very good anyway. And it would color your teeth and mouth.
Martha Stewart Member
10/02/2008
What do you think happens to the germs after 12-15 min at 325 degrees? Sounds like a fun project for all ages!
Martha Stewart Member
10/01/2008
Yes, germs happen. But should a recipe invite it? How many can visualize Martha Stewart making the cookies in this way? Hey, but to each his own. Thanks for the spritzer suggestion. I'll go that way.
Martha Stewart Member
09/30/2008
You people are all nuts. You are worried about a little spit getting on the cookies. If you only knew what kind of germy things your kids got into in a day. I work at a Daycare. I really don't need to go into specifics. You could have a little craft hour or party and let each child make their own cookie,just make sure they wash their hands before touching anything. My Lady
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
Adonah is exactly correct!!! What is the difference? (Always did think that was an odd tradition as I got older!)
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
for those of you concerned about "spitting"-what is the difference between blowing on the cookies as opposed to blowing out the candles on a birthday cake which everyone then eats? At least the cookies are baked to kill any germs!
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
I think each person eats the cookie they painted and it does not go into a cookie jar for consumption by any and all passersby. Love the tinted white chocolate idea for the cookie jar cookies.
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
I think each person eats the cookie they painted and it does not go into a cookie jar for consumption by any and all passersby. Love the tinted white chocolate idea for the cookie jar cookies.
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
I think each person eats the cookie they painted and it does not go into a cookie jar for consumption by any and all passersby. Love the tinted white chocolate idea for the cookie jar cookies.
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
I think each person eats the cookie they painted and it does not go into a cookie jar for consumption by any and all passersby. Love the tinted white chocolate idea for the cookie jar cookies.
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
You can also put dots of diluted food coloring on the dough and spray it with a misting sprayer (available in the hba aisle of most big box stores, along with all the travel items). With several bottles, you could put one color in each and just spray the colors onto the dough, letting it mix as they cross one another. The whole point is to have fun with it!
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
The cookies are going in a 325 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Any "germs" that might end up on the cookies will be dealt with by the heat. I can't imagine you're going to get much more than you would from breathing in the room with the cookie dough. That is, of course, unless you have a cold or the flu, and then you shouldn't be baking anyway because of contamination issues. I have also done this by putting lines of the food coloring on the edge and tipping the cookie to let it run.
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
You can also take an egg and seerate it, and put a couple of drops of foodcoloring in each egg white and paint it. Or you can use the yolk and add food coloring to it and paint each cookie and they really look great.
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
I think if each child does their own cookie, it would be fine, but I wouldn't want to decorate them all myself then hand them out. But what a wonderful idea and they look so professional! I'm going to get them to do this for their next birthday activity!!
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
Is this sanitary?
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
growflowers - if you et the cookies cool completely on the cookie ( i always use parchment paper ) then they should hold together when you remove them. You don't want to cook them at too low a temp. Also, don't roll them too thin, either! :)
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
An alternative decoration: bake undecorated cookies, then ice them white for the canvas look (if desired) and then decorate with colored icings, using various ends for splashed look.
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
I use natural liquid food coloring. India Tree brand. I bought it from whole foods, it comes in a pack of 3 red, yellow
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
I use natural liquid food coloring. India Tree brand. I bought it from whole foods, it comes in a pack of 3 red, yellow
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
Since the colors are what make these so fun, what about tinting melted white chocolate and then drizzling them like dark chocolate?? The saliva wouldn't be an issue, and the the colored drizzle would add texture as well!
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
does anyone have any ideas for natural liquid food colorings? i am trying to move my family away from commercial liquid food colors/dyes, but i still want my sons to have fun with projects like these.
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
Instead of blowing on them you could use a hairdryer on the cool setting? Just a thought =0)
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
You could take a new toothbrush or paintbrush and flick/spatter the food colouring. ... probably want to put down newspaper first...
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
My 5 and 3 year olds would completely spit all over the cookies. I would think that even an adult would have some spittage going on. Is there another way? Like canned air? I think the result is really cute.
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
how about cooking these and then drizzling chocolate/white chocolate on them in a crazy pattern? that would be fun to do also i think!
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
Since you bake the cookies AFTER you blow the food coloring there shouldn't be any problem with germs (although I had the same reaction at first!). If that still makes you squeamish, you could use a baster with a bulb to "blow" the coloring.
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
scarlett91 It's not that bad atall.. :-) you don't spit on the cake!! ;-)
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2008
Blow the food coloring across the cookie?? Sorry...doesn't sound appetizing in the least!
Martha Stewart Member
05/08/2008
Is the secret to baking extra large cookies reducing the temperature to 325 and baking longer? I've had trouble with XL cookies not being firm enough in the center yet the edges are very brown.
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