4 ingredient Reese's Hearts | Natural | PALEO | VEGAN FRIENDLY

Chocolate & peanut butter is the ultimate love language, especially when cleaned up with a protein boost!

INGREDIENTS

½ cup drippy natural peanut butter 
1 tbsp melted coconut oil 
2 tbsp date syrup 
⅓ cup vanilla protein powder
1 cup dark chocolate with 1-2 tsp coconut oil 
¼ cup Pacha Vegan White Baking Chips with ½ tsp coconut oil 
Color Kitchen Pink Color Packets

Combine peanut butter, coconut oil, date syrup and protien powder together and pour into heart molds and freeze until hardened, 15-20 minutes.

Melt roughly dark chocolate with 1-2 tsp coconut oil.

Remove hearts from mold and dip in melted dark chocolate, place on rack.

Melt white chocolate 30 seconds, stir in coconut oil, then melt again in 15 second increments until still a little chunky. Stir to melt remaining clumps without overheating. Mix in pink color and stir until blended.

Drizzle with white chocolate mixed with color, and natural sprinkles if desired, and place back in the fridge until hardened.

Enjoy!

~ Follow @colleenshealthylife for more fun and festive recipes!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Roses | Natural | Vegan | Dairy-free

Why choose between chocolate and flowers when you can gift both! Made with natural, artificial dye-free colors and vegan friendly ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

strawberries
1 ½ cups Pacha Vegan White Baking Chips
1 tbsp coconut oil
Color Kitchen Color Packets (colors of your choosing)

DIRECTIONS

Cut tops off strawberries, place popsicle sticks in strawberries.

Melt white chocolate 30 seconds, stir with coconut oil, then melt again in 15 second increments until still a little chunky. Stir to melt remaining clumps without overheating. Mix in natural color powder and stir until blended.

Dip strawberries into melted white chocolate. Allow to harden in the fridge, then remove popsicle stick from the strawberries.

Fill flower mold with more colored white chocolate and place your strawberry on top. Allow to harden in fridge or freezer.

Remove from mold and place in gift box, or, if saving for yourself simply keep in an airtight container in the fridge.

~ Follow @colleenshealthylife for more fun and festive recipes!

Christmas Tree Rice Krispies | Dye Free | Vegan

Super cute and super easy!

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp butter / vegan butter
2 cups marshmallows of choice (homemade, or a healthier dye free brand )
2 ½ cups organic brown rice crisp cereal
1 Color Kitchen Green Packet
Justin’s mini peanut butter cups
Yum Earth dye free chocolate gems

DIRECTIONS

Combine butter & marshmallows on stove top until melted.
Add in green color powder.
Then add in cereal and combine until all are coated.
Wet hands then roll chunks of the mixture into a tree / cone shape.
Use a bit of white icing to secure your pb cup to the bottom as the tree stand.
Pipe icing as strings across the trees, then place chocolate gems as your tree lights.
Enjoy!

~ Follow @colleenshealthylife for more fun and festive recipes!

Winter Hanukkah Cookies-Icing | Artificial Dye-free | Natural | Vegan Friendly

Mix, dip, sprinkle and drizzle to make colorful cookies for the winter holidays.! Our kit includes all the ingredients for easy to make natural icing with organic ingredients.

MAKES: DOZENS OF COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

milk (or substitute)
vanilla
coconut oil (optional)
3 piping bags or plastic baggies (optional)
Color Kitchen Winter Icing Set

DIRECTIONS

Put powdered sugar in medium sized mixing bowl and add 3 tbsp milk and ½ tsp vanilla. Stir with spoon or hand mixer on low. Add 1-2 more tsp milk depending on desired thickness. Mix until smooth.Pour ⅓ cup icing (each) into 2 small bowls. Set aside remaining icing for white.

Open color packets and add ½ tsp of color to each icing bowl and stir. Add more color to get deeper shades. Stir until all the powder color is dissolved. Keep unused color airtight in packets. If icing is still too thick, add ½ tsp milk at a time and stir until desired consistency is reached. Add ½ tsp melted coconut oil for sheen (optional).

Dip cookies in icing, or drizzle with a spoon. Or, pour icing into piping or plastic bags and cut a small hole at the tip.

Decorate and enjoy!

Whipped Cream MarblEd EASTER Eggs | Natural | Artificial Dye-free | NON-TOXIC

Looking for a fun Easter egg coloring activity? Try marbling eggs with whipped cream, a safe non-toxic and edible alternative to the popular Shaving Cream Easter Eggs. All you need are 3 ingredients along with our natural plant-based Easter dye kit!

INGREDIENTS

Color Kitchen Easter Egg Coloring Kit
12-24 eggs
1 tbsp white vinegar
whipped cream

DIRECTIONS

Hard boil eggs.

Add Easter egg dye packets to small jars.

Add 1 teaspoon of water to each jar, and use the paint brush to mix the color into a paste. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then mix again to ensure the color is well saturated.

Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar into blue and pink/purple dyes. 

Add 1 tablespoon of water into yellow/orange dye.

Add whipping cream to a shallow dish. Spread into an even thin layer.

Add drops of dye around the whipping cream, spaced about 1 inch apart. Use more drops of color for more vibrant eggs, and fewer for a more pastel look.

Use a skewer and draw lines back in forth, leaving a marbled pattern in the whipping cream.

Gently roll eggs over the top of the whipping cream, allowing the color to stick to the eggs. Try not to push the eggs too deeply in the whipping cream. You want mostly dye and less whipping cream to stick to the eggs.

Allow eggs to dry for 30 minutes.

Dip eggs in a bowl of cold water and shake to remove excess whipping cream. If some of the whipping cream sticks, leave it on the eggs to remove later.

Wait 3-4 hours before trying to wipe excess whipped cream off of eggs. If you try right away, the dye will wipe off the eggs along with the whipping cream.

Marbled Deviled EASTER Eggs | Artificial Dye-free

Try our Marbled Deviled Egg recipe this Easter, a festive colorful holiday classic that is artificial dye-free. These naturally colored marbled eggs are a healthy alternative to all the candy and treats during Easter celebrations.

INGREDIENTS

Color Kitchen color packets
12 hard boiled eggs
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp sea salt
Black pepper, to taste
Chives, to garnish

DIRECTIONS

Carefully cut each egg in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks with a spoon and add to a large mixing bowl.

Add Color Kitchen color packets to small jars. Into each jar, add 1 teaspoon of water, and mix to dissolve. Once the color has dissolved, add ¼ cup of water into each jar.

Add 2 egg white halves to each color jar, and let soak for 1-5 minutes, depending on desired concentration of color.

Remove eggs from the color, and place on a plate lined with paper towels to let excess dye dry off.

Add mayo, salt, and pepper to the egg yolks, and use a fork or a mixer to whip the egg yolks until a smooth mixture is made.

Either pipe or spoon the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites.

Garnish with chopped chives.

Delicious Chocolate Cupcakes | Gluten-Free | Allergen-Friendly

Your next birthday party, celebration or ….just any old day…will not be the same with these cupcakes as the centerpiece.

MAKES: 2 DOZEN

INGREDIENTS

CUPCAKES
1 ½ cups granulated organic sugar
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free 1 - 1 Flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk (or substitute)
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp vanilla
¾ cup boiling water

FROSTING
1 Color Kitchen Frosting Mix (choose your color) with sprinkles
OR
1 Color Kitchen Plain Frosting Mix with Color of your choice
½ cup butter (or substitute)
1 ½ tbsp milk (or substitute)
1 tsp vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients.

Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and blend with a mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.

Stir in boiling water. Blend for another 30 seconds.

Spoon batter evenly into cupcake liners. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven. Completely cool before frosting cupcakes.

Mix frosting, following instructions on packaging.

Put frosting into a piping bag. Frost cupcakes and top with sprinkles!

Easter Egg Cookies | Natural, Dye-free Colors

MAKES 18-20 COOKIES
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

COOKIES  
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

ICING
1 Color Kitchen Frosting Mix with Sprinkles (color of your choosing)
1 Color Kitchen Pink, Orange or Yellow Color Packets (additional colors of your choosing)
3 tbsp milk or milk alternative

Directions

COOKIES

In a stand mixer with a beater attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on high speed for 3-4 minutes.

Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until combined.

Add the flour, salt, and baking powder and beat until all ingredients are combined in a smooth dough.

Form the dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

When the dough is done chilling, roll it out into a ½-inch thick sheet.  Cut out cookie shapes using egg-shaped cookie cutters.

Place the cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Let cool for at least 15 minutes before decorating with icing.

DECORATE

Empty the powdered sugar from the frosting mix into a bowl.  Add the milk and mix until smooth.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of the plain icing into a piping back with a small round top.  Pipe an oval border along the edges of each cookie.  Pipe a line in the middle, dividing the cookies in two halves.

Divide the remaining icing between 3 bowls.  Add ¼ teaspoon of food coloring to each bowl of frosting and mix until combined.  Fill ½ of each cookie with the pastel icing.

Add another ¼ teaspoon of food coloring to the bowls and mix until combined.  Use the deeper-colored icing to fill the other half of the cookies.

Top the cookies with nonpareil sprinkles.

Easter Bunny Pancakes | Gluten-free

Hop to it and make this cute breakfast your kids are sure to love! Enjoy a colorful breakfast free from artificial dyes with natural coloring from plant-sources like beets and turmeric. It’s so easy with our gluten-free mix that comes with rainbow colors!

MAKES: 4 BUNNY PANCAKES
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 Color Kitchen Gluten-free Rainbow Pancake Mix
1 ½ cup milk (or substitute)
2 tbsp melted butter or oil
2 eggs (or egg substitute)
½ cup whipped cream

Directions

Blend pancake mix with milk, butter and eggs. Split batter into 4 bowls, approx ¾ cup each. Add 1 color packet to each bowl and blend until all the color has dissolved.

Heat a skillet to medium-low heat. With the pink batter, make large (about 4-inch) circles on the skillet for the body. For the head, use the yellow batter to make medium (about 2-inch) circles.  Using the green batter, make small (about 1-inch) circles for the feet.  And lastly, for the ears use the blue batter, making small (about 2-inches x 1 inch) ovals. Cook all pancakes for about 2 minutes on each side.

Assemble the bunny. Place the blue ears at the top of a plate. Place the yellow head slightly overlapping the bottom of the ears.  Place the pink body pancake below the head, slightly overlapping. Place two green feet pancakes at the bottom, slightly overlapping the body. Place a dollop of whipped cream on the body just above the feet to make a tail.

Top with butter or syrup to your liking and enjoy!

DIPPED EASTER EGGS | NATURAL DYES | PLANT COLORS

Dipped eggs, a simple and stunning technique for naturally dyed easter eggs with plant-based dyes.

MAKES: 12-24 EGGS
Prep Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Color Kitchen Easter Egg Coloring Kit
12-24 eggs
2 tbsp white vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Place eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover the eggs.  Bring to a boil on high heat. Let the eggs boil for 1 minute, then remove them from heat. Let the eggs stand in the hot water for 12 minutes, then transfer them to an ice bath to cool.

Dry the eggs completely with a towel. 

Empty each color packet into a separate cup. Add ¼ tsp water and blend thoroughly with the brush to dissolve the powder. Leave for a couple of minutes then blend again. Keep mixing until all of the powder has dissolved. Add 1 tbsp white vinegar to the pink/purple dye and the blue dye only (not yellow/orange). Add 2 tbsp water to all and mix.

Hold the eggs on one end and dip other half into the cups of dye. Hold submerged in the dye for a few seconds for deep colors, or quickly for lighter pastels.

Set to dry in an empty egg carton or the tray provided with the Easter kit.

Dip a second time in other dyes for layering of color.

TIP: For clean lines, wrap a strip of masking tape around the center of each egg. Press down firmly so that the dye will not be able to seep in underneath the tape. Once eggs are dry, remove tape,

Natural Easter COLORS with Brown Eggs

Our egg dyes are so strong they work great on brown eggs, creating rich golden tones.

WHAT YOU NEED

1-2 dozen eggs
Color Kitchen Easter Egg Coloring Kit
white vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Step 1: Hard boil 1-2 dozen eggs and chill.

Step 2: Empty each color packet into a separate cup. Add 1/4 tsp water and blend thoroughly with brush to dissolve the powder. Leave for a couple of minutes then blend again. Keep mixing until all the powder has dissolved.

Step 3. Add 1 Tbsp white vinegar to pink/purple and blue only (not yellow/orange). Add 2 Tbsp water to all and mix.

Step 4. Put eggs in cups and turn over gently with a spoon to cover all sides. Dip quickly for pastel colors. Leave for several minutes for deeper shades.

Step 5. Take egg out with spoon and set in tray or empty egg carton to dry.

Holiday Sugar Cookie with Naturally Colored Icing | Dye-free

Yummy! Festive! Decorative! Easy! These holiday cookies check all the boxes. Get your kids involved for some extra fun!

MAKES: 18-20 COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp kosher salt
⅔ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 large egg
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Color Kitchen Holiday Icing Set

DIRECTIONS

Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Using an electric mixer, in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add egg and vanilla.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. 

Shape the dough into a disk then roll between 2 sheets of parchment paper until ¼-inch thick. Cut out shapes (such as circles, stars and triangles) and use a small offset spatula to transfer to prepared cookie sheets. Reroll scraps and cut out. Chill until firm, at least 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are lightly golden brown around the edges, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.

Once cool, make the icing.

Divide the sugar between 4 bowls shallow (about ½ cup per bowl) and prepare according to package directions. 

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Working one at a time, dip one side of each cookie (or one half of each cookie)  in one color of glaze. Gently shake off the excess and transfer to a wire rack. Use a fork to drizzle the cookies back and forth with the other colors. To create patterns, drag a toothpick back and forth through the drizzled lines. Let dry completely. 

~Recipe by Anna Helm Baker

Lemon Pistachio Macaroons | Gluten-free | Vegan-friendly

Soft and chewy, lemon-zesty coconut macaroons are the prefect sweet treat for a gluten-free diet.

MAKES: 10 MACAROONS
Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 ⅓ cup finely shredded coconut
¼ cup almond flour
¼ cup honey (or coconut nectar)
3 tbsp coconut oil, at room temperature
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
¼ tsp salt
½ cup finely chopped pistachios
1 Color Kitchen Plain Frosting Mix
1 Color Kitchen Green Color Packet
1 Color Kitchen Nonpareil Sprinkles
3 tbsp milk (or milk alternative)
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the coconut, almond flour, honey, coconut oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt to a food processor.  Pulse 15-20 times, until all of the ingredients come together in a soft dough. 

Transfer the dough to a bowl.  Using a spatula, fold in the chopped pistachios.

Shape the dough into 10 balls.  Place on the baking sheet and bake for 16 minutes.

While the macaroons are baking, prepare the icing.  Add the powdered sugar, color packet, milk, and vanilla extract to a bowl and mix until evenly combined.

Once the macaroons have cooled, drizzle on the icing and top with nonpareil sprinkles.

Shamrock Shake & Maraschino Cherries | Natural | Artificial Dye-free

Natural St. Patrick's Day shake recipe with homemade maraschino cherries - free from artificial dyes and ingredients!

MAKES: 1 MILKSHAKE
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup vanilla ice cream (or vegan ice cream)
½ cup whole milk (or milk alternative)
¼ tsp peppermint extract
1 Color Kitchen Green Color Packet (you can use 2 packets for a deeper color)
Optional toppings: whipped cream, fresh or maraschino cherries

Directions

Add the ice cream, milk, peppermint extract, and color packet to a blender and blend until combined.

Pour into a glass and top with the toppings of your choice! 

make your own maraschino cherries

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes 

Ingredients

1 cup fresh cherries, pitted
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp lemon juice
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract

Directions

 In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water.  Stir over heat until the sugar has melted.  Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract.

Place the cherries in a sealable jar.  Pour the syrup on top.  Seal the jar and place it in the fridge.  Let the cherries sit in the fridge for 2-3 days before using.

Striped Easter Eggs | Natural Dyes | Plant Colors

MAKES: 12-24 EGGS
Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Color Kitchen Easter Egg Coloring Kit
12-24 eggs
2 tbsp white vinegar
masking tape

Directions

Place eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover the eggs.  Bring to a boil on high heat. Let the eggs boil for 1 minute, then remove them from heat. Let the eggs stand in the hot water for 12 minutes, then transfer them to an ice bath to cool.

Dry the eggs completely with a towel. 

Cut the masking tape into thin strips.  Arrange the tape on the eggs to create stripes.  Make sure that the tape is pressed down firmly on the eggs.

Empty each color packet into a separate cup. Add ¼ tsp water and blend thoroughly with the brush to dissolve the powder. Leave for a couple of minutes then blend again. Keep mixing until all of the powder has dissolved. Add 1 tbsp white vinegar to the pink/purple dye and the blue dye only (not yellow/orange). Add 2 tbsp water to all and mix.

Put the eggs in the cups and turn them over gently with a spoon to cover all sides. Dip quickly for pastel colors. Leave for several minutes for deeper shades. Take the eggs out with a spoon and set in the tray or empty egg carton to dry.

Remove the masking tape.

Watercolor Heart Valentine's Day Cookies | Natural | Colorful | Dye-free

Nothing says "made with love" like painted cookies. Try our easy watercolor icing recipe this Valentine's Day, using our Natural Frosting/Icing Mix with Sprinkles!

MAKES: 15-20 COOKIES
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

COOKIES
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

FROSTING
1 Color Kitchen Pink Frosting Mix
3 tbsp milk or milk alternative

Directions

COOKIES
In a stand mixer with a beater attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on high speed for 3-4 minutes.

Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until combined.

Add the flour, salt, and baking powder and beat until all ingredients are combined in a smooth dough.

Form the dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

When the dough is done chilling, roll it out into a ½-inch thick sheet.  Cut out cookie shapes using cookie cutters of your choice.

Place the cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Let cool for at least 15 minutes before decorating with icing.

FROSTING
In a medium bowl, add the powdered sugar and milk and mix until combined in an icing.

In a ramekin, add the pink color packet to the vodka and mix until combined.

Pipe the white frosting onto the cookies.  Allow the frosting to dry completely (5-10 minutes) before painting the cookies with the pink watercolor.

Use a paintbrush to paint the pink watercolor onto the cookies as desired.  Top the cookies with nonpareil sprinkles while the watercolor is still wet.

New Year’s Eve Champagne Yogurt Cupcakes with Sparklers | Natural

Champagne Cupcakes made with Greek Yogurt – sparkling with naturally colored frosting and sprinkles for your New Year celebration!

MAKES: 12 CUPCAKES
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients 

CUPCAKES
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup Greek yogurt, room temperature
½ cup Champagne

FROSTING
Color Kitchen Plain Frosting Mix
Color Kitchen Blue, Pink & Green Color Packets
Color Kitchen Nonpareils
OR Color Kitchen Frosting Mixes with Sprinkles (colors of your choosing)
½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

DECORATION
12 small sparklers

Directions

CUPCAKES
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.

In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add the sour cream and beat until incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat together until you have a thick batter.  Add the champagne to the batter and beat on low speed until all ingredients are combined in a smooth batter.

Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each liner about ⅔ of the way.  Bake for 20 minutes, and allow to cool before frosting.

FROSTING
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the confectioner’s sugar from the frosting mix and the butter until combined. Add the vanilla and milk and continue to beat until you have a smooth frosting.

Divide the frosting between 4 bowls. In the first bowl, add ¼ or ½ teaspoon of pink color (Note:¼ teaspoon will give you a pastel color, ½ teaspoon will give you a more vibrant color). In the second bowl, add ¼ or ½ teaspoon of blue color. In the third bowl, add ¼ or ½ teaspoon of green color. In the third bowl, add ¼ teaspoon of pink color and ¼ of teaspoon of blue color (this will make purple). Stir the color into the frostings until you have an even color.

Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and top with nonpareil sprinkles.Top with small sparklers and light them at midnight for a fun New Year’s Eve celebration!

Christmas Cookie Cake with Rosemary & Cranberries | Artificial Dye-free | Natural Ingredients

Who needs to decide between cookies & cake, when you can have both! Use your decorated Christmas cookies to embellish this festive holiday cake made from all natural ingredients.

MAKES: 16 SERVINGS
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

CAKE
1 ½ cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 ⅓ cup granulated sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole milk
5 cups all-purpose flour
4 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups whole milk

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
2 packs Color Kitchen Plain Frosting Mix
1 cup butter (or substitute)
3 tbsp milk (or substitute)
2 tsp vanilla

COOKIES
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

ICING
1 bag Color Kitchen Holiday Icing Mix
3 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla
A couple drops coconut oil to prevent cracking (optional)

DIRECTIONS

CAKE LAYERS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease 4 8-inch round pans.  Note: if you only have 2 8-inch pans, half the recipe and make it in 2 batches.

In a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes.  Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredient mixture and beat until combined.  Add the milk and beat again until combined.  Add the remaining flour and beat until you have a smooth batter.

Divide the batter evenly among the 4 pans and bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.

BUTTERCREAM

In a stand mixer with a beater attachment, beat the butter and vanilla on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low speed between each addition until smooth.

Slowly add the milk and continue to beat on low speed until incorporated.

COOKIES

In a stand mixer with a beater attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on high speed for 3-4 minutes 

Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until combined.

Add the flour, salt, and baking powder and beat until all ingredients are combined in a smooth dough.

Form the dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

When the dough is done chilling, roll it out into a ½-inch thick sheet.  Cut out cookie shapes using cookie cutters of your choice.

Place the cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Let cool for at least 15 minutes before decorating with icing.

ICING

Prepare the icing according to the instructions on the package.  Optional: add a couple drops of coconut oil to prevent cracking.

Divide the icing between 2-4 bowls, and mix in color packets of your choice.

CAKE ASSEMBLY

Decorate the cookies with the icing as desired and set aside for at least 1 hour to let the icing harden.

Assemble the cake.  Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand.  Add a layer of frosting on top, then stack the second cake layer on top.  Repeat with all of the cake layers, then frost the outside of the cake.

Place a teaspoon dollop of buttercream on the back of each cookie, then stick the cookies onto the cake.

Optional: decorate the top of the cake with rosemary sprigs and cranberries.

Red Velvet Lattice Pie Crust - Cranberry Blood Orange Pie | Natural | Dye-free

A creative spin on a classic dish — who doesn’t love a homemade pie? Decorative, delightful and free of dye, this dessert checks all the boxes!

MAKES: 10 SERVINGS
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

PLAIN PIE CRUST
2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
4-8 tbsp water

RED PIE CRUST
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 Color Kitchen Red Velvet Color Packet
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
1 ½ tsp granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
2-4 tbsp ice water
1 egg for egg wash

FILLING
3 cups fresh cranberries
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp blood orange zest
juice of ½ a blood orange
2 tbsp flour
¼ tsp salt

Directions

Prepare the plain crust.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.  Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut the butter into the flour mixture to create a coarse meal.  Add the water one tablespoon at a time and mix after each addition, until the dough forms large clumps and can be shaped into a ball.  Divide the dough in half.  Form each half into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.

Prepare the red crust.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, red velvet color packet and salt.  Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut the butter into the flour mixture to create a coarse meal.  Add the water one tablespoon at a time and mix after each addition, until the dough forms large clumps and can be shaped into a ball.  Form the dough into a disk shape, wrap with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.

Prepare the filling.  Add all of the filling ingredients to a large bowl and toss until evenly distributed.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Roll out one disk of plain dough into a 10-inch circle.  Transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate and trim the edges.  Add the filling.

Roll out the red pie dough into a rectangle, about ⅛-inch thick.  Cut it into strips.  Arrange the strips over the pie.

Roll out the remaining plain pie dough into a rectangle, about ⅛-inch thick.  Cut it into strips.  Weave the plain dough strips with the red dough strips to create a lattice topping.

Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water.  Brush it over the top of the pie.

Bake the pie for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes.  If the crust is becoming too brown, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the pie. 

Let the pie cool for at least 15 minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies | Natural

These chocolatey cookies are a zesty Thanksgiving treat, and can also be made with our other natural colors for any holiday.

MAKES: 30 cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp orange zest
1 tbsp orange juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Color Kitchen Orange Color Packets
¼ tsp salt
6 oz chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate
Optional: flaky sea salt, to sprinkle on top

Directions

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Add the egg, vanilla, orange juice, and orange zest to the butter mixture and beat on medium-low speed until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and orange color until evenly combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat together on medium speed until just combined in a smooth dough.

Place the cookie dough on a lightly floured surface.  Using floured hands, shape the dough into 2 logs, each about 9 inches long and 2 inches thick.  Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours, up to 48 hours.

When the dough is finished chilling, preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove the logs from the refrigerator and slice each log into 14-15 cookies.  Place the cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes.

Let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes.  While the cookies are cooling, microwave the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment, until completely melted.

Dip each cookie in chocolate, or drizzle chocolate over the cookies.  Top with flaky sea salt (optional).