These simple 4th of July cookies make the perfect party treats! Using only basic kitchen ingredients, these cookies are a great addition to any dessert table.
Start out by combining the dough and flour in a large bowl. Then, roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness.
Cut out cookie shapes using your favorite cookie cutters. Choose any shape you want, firework cookies never fail!
Bake on prepared cookie sheets at 350ºF for eight minutes (or until the edges start to brown!).
Making Icing
To start making your icing, combine the sugar and meringue powder in a mixer.
Add eight tablespoons of water to your mixture. Using the whisk attachment, continue beating for one minute on low speed.
Continue to add water to your mixture until you achieve the desired consistency of icing. Add one tablespoon at a time until the icing slowly drizzles from the whisk when lifted. If the icing is too hard, add more water one drop at a time. If it is too runny, add more icing sugar one teaspoon at a time.
Once you’ve reached the perfect consistency, separate the icing into small mixing bowls and add desired food coloring.
Mix well. Then, pour the icing into icing bottles or piping bags.
Decorating Options for Cookies
First, line around the edge of the design with icing and then fill in the middle.
Using a toothpick, poke any bubbles and gently direct icing into any holes until you have a smooth surface of icing.
The icing should completely dry at room temperature for at least four hours before adding any layered piping details to the top. However, some of the following designs require the icing to remain wet. So, before allowing these to dry, make sure you’ve decided on your finishing details from the choices provided below!
ZIGZAG DESIGN
Before the flooded area dries, add stripes of different colored icing layered one on top of the other, and then drag a toothpick through them. This is my personal favorite!
POLKA DOTS
To make polka dots, before the flooded area dries, add dots of icing with desired colors. You can even add some white chocolate chips in there too!
FIREWORKS
Before the same area dries, drop one large drop of icing in whichever color you like. Use a toothpick to drag the icing from the dot into the flooded area to make an awesome firework shape!
Drop a smaller dot in the same spot, then use a toothpick to draw once again. This will produce a realistic sparkle effect for the fireworks. Pretty!
PLAID PATTERN
Allow the flooded area to dry completely. Then, simply add stripes of icing to the cookie to create a stripe or plaid pattern.
CANDY
If you want to add candy to your 4th of July cookies, just glue the pieces to the cookie with icing after they are dried.
EDIBLE MARKER
Before using an edible marker on the icing, allow them to completely harden for at least four hours. You could write “Happy 4th” on your cookies, or even draw an American flag!
Notes
Our recipe uses ready-to-bake refrigerated Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough, but you can also followthis recipe to get the perfect, homemade soft sugar cookie dough. Or, you can try our gluten-free alternative, here. Whichever route you choose will still produce great results!