These rainbow cookies are perfect for St. Patrick's Day or any other rainbow celebration. The lemon shortbread is absolutely delicious, so go ahead and cut the recipe in half and make non-rainbow lemon cookies when ever you like.
Ingredients
4 sticks butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
¼ tsp salt
6 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
gel food coloring in rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
¾ cup sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer.
Add lemon juice, zest, salt and eggs. Beat until well-mixed.
Gradually add flour and baking soda and combine until completely.
Divide dough into 6 even sections and color them each using gel food coloring. Spread each layer in rainbow order onto a parchment-lined loaf pan. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Lift the dough block out of the loaf pan carefully, using the parchment overhangs. Using a very sharp knife, slice the dough like you would a loaf of bread (1/4 inch slices). Then cut each slice into 6 rainbow sticks. Place them one inch apart on parchment-lined cookie pans. Chill cookies while you slice the rest. If dough starts to get soft, put it back in the refrigerator to chill.
Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, until just firm but not too brown.
Allow cookies to cool on pan for just one minute. Then gently roll them in the remaining sugar for the sparkle effect. Cool completely on wire racks.
Notes
Although the quantities of butter and sugar are jaw dropping, I don't recommend halving this recipe unless you are using a mini loaf pan. Each layer of dough is already very thin and it would be difficult to create the rainbow effect with less dough.
Recipe by Mamaguru at http://mamaguru.com/rainbow-cookies-for-st-patricks-day/