National Cookie Month: Candy Corn Cookies

It's Week 2 of National Cookie Month! When I saw a photo of these cookies on Pinterest- I knew I had to try them. They are so cute- they look just like Candy Corn! I adapted the recipe from the one I found on the Land O Lakes website.

Candy Corn Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3 T. orange juice
2 tsp. orange zest
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Orange and yellow food colorings (paste or gel)

1/2 cup sugar (for sprinkling on top of cookies)
Parchment paper

Line bottom and sides of a 9x5 inch loaf pan with wax paper or plastic food wrap. Set aside.

Combine butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg, orange juice, orange zest and salt. Continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour and baking soda. Beat until well mixed.

Divide dough into thirds. Press one-third of white dough evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. To one-third of the remaining dough, add small amount of orange food coloring, mix until color is well blended. Press orange dough evenly over white dough in pan.

Add yellow food coloring to remaining dough and press over orange dough in pan.

Cover with plastic food wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours or overnight.)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Invert loaf pan onto a cutting board to remove dough. Peel off waxed paper. Cut loaf crosswise into 1/4 inch slices using a sharp knife.

Cut each slice into 6-8 wedges.

Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle cookies with remaining sugar.
Bake for 7-9 minutes until cookies are set and bottoms are very lightly browned. Cool 1 minute, then remove from baking sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.

Makes about 15 dozen small and adorable cookies.

Click here for a printable PDF of this recipe.