Rainbow Cookies

Fact: I tell my students that my favorite color is Rainbow.

I realize that it isn't a color, this much I know. What I don't understand is how putting red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple together, (in that order), makes me so freaking happy. Love seeing my pal ROY G. BIV.

The baking challenge this week asked for a baked good that represents the rainbow. I couldn't bring myself to make the rainbow cake, even though it is pretty amazing. I've been craving cookies for a bit, since I shipped most of these to California and hardly kept any for myself.

This recipe recreates the soft dreaminess of the Lofthouse sugar cookie. I went through quite a few sugar cookie recipes before I found one that even came the teeniest bit close to the mass produced goodness. My next challenge will be figuring out how to make them completely from scratch. Luckily, this recipe helped me fulfill the rainbow requirement by giving me an opportunity to use Funfetti cake mix.


Rainbow Cookies
adapted from Noshings
makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 18oz box of Funfetti cake mix
• 2/3 cup AP flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons light sour cream
• 1/3 cup of sugar, for rolling the cookie balls in

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour cake mix into a medium bowl, combine with 2/3 cup of all purpose flour. Add 2 eggs, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and the 2 tablespoons of sour cream. Mix until well combined making sure to break up any clumps of flour, dough will be thick.
Place the 1/3 cup of sugar in a small bowl.
Roll cookie dough into one inch balls. One at a time, drop cookie dough balls into bowl of sugar. Place cookie dough on the parchment papered baking sheet, sugar side up. Using the heel of your hand, or the bottom of a drinking glass, flatten the cookie dough until about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake cookies for about 10 minutes, cookies will still be soft to the touch, but aim to not brown the bottoms. Let cool on baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to wire rack.
Let cool completely. Frost, if desired. (Trust me, you desire!)

Quick Buttercream Frosting
adapted from AllRecipes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 teaspoons heavy cream
Food coloring

Directions:

Cut stick (1/2) cup of butter to small cubes in order to soften. Using a wooden spoon, or similar cooking utensil, cream the room temperature butter until smooth and fluffy. Carefully combine with the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Beat in vanilla extract, between cups of sugar, and mix in the teaspoons of heavy cream until frosting reaches desired consistency.