Edible Easter Project: Egg Yolk Painting

Lena's first masterpiece.

A few days ago Lena and I did a fun edible art project that I remember doing every Easter when I was growing up: egg yolk painting on sugar cookie dough.  She loved it and it was a simple and fun activity we could all do together.  Here is what we did:

First Lena and I mixed up a batch of Ethel's Sugar Cookies from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book. (See the recipe at the end of this post.)  While the dough was chilling I prepared the edible paints by cracking some eggs and separating the yolks from the whites.  Each yolk is put into a dish and mixed with food coloring.

Egg yolk paints ready to go!

Once the dough was chilled Lena rolled out the dough with her little rolling pin and we cut out shapes.  I rolled out thick cookies this time but if you like crispy cookies you can roll them thinner.  We chose an egg, butterfly, bunny, and cross for our Easter themed cookies.  I always bake on parchment paper which gives the cookies a nice even bake.

Raw cut out sugar cookies ready to be painted.

Then it was time to get creative!  Lena, Dan, and I each got a row of cookies to decorate.  We used little craft paint brushes and spoons to create our designs.

Daddy and Lena

Lena favored blue and green for her painted cookies.

From left to right: Daddy's cookies, Mama's cookies, Lena's cookies

Then it was time to pop the cookies in the 400 degree oven to bake.  Don't EVER follow the baking time in the cook books and don't ever cook sugar cookies until they are slightly golden brown.  They will be hard as a rock if you do!  Sugar cookies only bake until set (not glossy).  (Thinner, small cookies take 4 min and thicker large cookies take 6 min.)  They will be very delicate when they come out of the oven but just wait!  Let them sit and as they cool they will set up and be super soft, velvety, and totally baked.

Baking at 400 degrees for 4-6 minutes depending on thickness,

You can eat your creations at this point but I wanted to add a touch of sweetness with a simple glaze frosting.  It also helps keep the cookies nice and moist if you store them for a few days.  (See the glaze recipe below.)  I like to simply brush on the glaze right over the cookies.

Ready to apply a simple glaze to the baked cookies.

Lastly, we ate our cookies!  They are Lena's most favorite cookie that we bake together and I think she loved the added fun of painting them.

Mmmmm...good!  Lena picked Daddy's egg as her favorite cookie.

Ethel’s Sugar Cookies

adapted from Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book  (copyright 1977) with my changes

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla (I like to use 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond flavoring)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla thoroughly.
2. Stir flour, baking powder, and salt together.
3. Blend butter mixture and flour mixture.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
5. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
6. On a board that has been lightly floured with a mixture of flour, roll dough until it is 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with your favorite cooky cutter.
7. Place on an ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper
8. Bake 4 to 6 minutes, or until cookies are not glossy
9. Cool on a wire rack.  If desired brush on a glaze or spread on a thicker icing of your choice.

Makes 2-4 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the cutter and thickness of dough.

Glaze

1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond flavoring

1-3 Tablespoons milk

1. Blend sugar and vanilla.
2. Add milk 1 tablespoon at at a time until icing reaches a spreadable consistency.