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 Skillet Cookie Sundaes - Artificial Dye-free | Gluten-free

Baked in cast iron skillets, these gluten-free red velvet cookie pies are served warm, melting with white chocolate, caramel, and ice cream yumminess. A perfect holiday dessert for those cold nights, to be shared with those you love.

MAKES: 3 COOKIE PIES
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

COOKIES
1 bag Color Kitchen Red Velvet Cookie Mix
1 egg (room temp)
1 tbsp buttermilk (or yogurt)
1 stick butter (softened), plus some for greasing the skillets
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup white chocolate chips

CARAMEL SAUCE
1 cup granulated sugar
1 stick butter
½ cup heavy whipping cream

TOP WITH
3 scoops vanilla ice cream

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease 3 mini cast iron skillets with butter.

Prepare the red velvet cookie dough according to the instructions on the package (vegan option available).  Fold in the white chocolate chips.

Divide the cookie dough evenly between the 3 skillets and press it into the bottom of the skillets.  Place the skillets in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.

When the dough is done chilling, transfer the skillets to the oven and bake for 16 minutes.

While the skillet cookies are baking, prepare the caramel sauce. Heat sugar in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until it is totally melted.  The sugar will form clumps before beginning to melt.  Once the sugar melts, add the butter and stir until it is melted.  The mixture will sizzle up when the butter is added.  Don’t be alarmed, this is normal.  When the butter is melted, add the heavy cream (the mixture will sizzle up again) and stir until all of the ingredients are evenly combined.  Let the caramel simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool.

When the cookies are finished baking, let them cool for at least 10 minutes.

Once the cookies are finished cooling, top each one with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with caramel sauce.

Circus Shortbread Cookies

MAKES: 3 Dozen

Ingredients-Cookies

2 sticks (226 g.) organic butter, softened
142 g. (1 cup) organic powdered sugar, sifted
1 T. vanilla extract
2 tsp. all natural almond flavor
255 g. (2 cups) organic flour

Ingredients-Glaze

170 g. (1 cup + 3 T.) organic powdered sugar, sifted
2 T. water
1 T. all natural cherry flavor
½ tsp. organic vanilla extract
¼ tsp. of  Pink Color Kitchen Color packet
India Tree natural white pearls

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and almond flavor. Mix on low until combined, if there are still butter chunks it’s okay.

Add the flour and mix on low to combine completely.

On a baking sheet with parchment paper, ball the cookies into a round disk like shape. They should be about 1.5” in diameter. Space them at least 1” apart, they will spread slightly when baking.

Bake for 13 minutes.

Once the cookies have cooled, start the glaze. 

In a mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, water, cherry flavor, vanilla extract and pink dye. Whisk or stir to combine completely into a hot pink glaze.

Drizzle glaze over cookies and sprinkle with white pearls. 

High Altitude – bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes

-recipe by Dessert’D Organic Bake Shop

 

Flower Crown Pumpkin Cookies

Your spooky season just got a whole lot sweeter with these pumpkin cookies! They’re to dye for!

MAKES: 2 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS

COOKIES
1 stick (113 g.) organic butter, softened
170 g organic sugar (¾ cup)
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
2 organic large eggs
198 g organic flour (1 ¼ cup + 2 T.)
43 g organic Dutch cocoa, sifted (½ cup + 2 T.)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt

ORANGE FROSTING
1.5 sticks (170g) organic butter, softened
340 g organic powdered sugar, sifted (2 ½ cups)
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
4 tsp (2 packets) Orange Color Kitchen Color
2-3 tsp. water

DECORATING FROSTING
½ stick (57 g) organic butter, softened
170 g organic powdered sugar, sifted (1 cup + 3 T.)
Green, Blue & Pink Color Kitchen Color packets

TOOLS
Rolling pin
3” round cookie cutter
3 piping bags
Ateco decorating tips #56, 15, 26, 68, 263
1 coupler

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add the butter, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix on low until all ingredients are combined.

Add the eggs and mix just slightly.

In a separate bowl, add the flour, cocoa, baking powder and sea salt and whisk together.
Add the flour mixture into the mixing bowl and mix on low until cookie dough forms.

On a floured surface, roll out cookie dough to about ¼” thick.

Using a 3” round cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place at least 1” apart.

Bake for 10-11 minutes.

Once the cookies have cooled start the Orange Frosting. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add the orange dye and 1-2 tsp. water. Just using a spoon or small spatula mix together to make the orange dye. Then add the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix on low until combined. Then speed mixer up to high for 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Add a little more water if needed.

Put the orange frosting in a piping bag with a coupler and decorating tip #56 first. Pipe the outline of the pumpkin onto the cookies.

Then switch out the tip to #15 and fill in the pumpkins.

Next make the decorating frosting. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment add the butter, powdered sugar and 1 tsp. water. Mix on low until all ingredients are combined then speed mixer up to high for 1 minute or until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl add ½ tsp. ColorKitchen Pink Dye and ½ tsp. ColorKitchen Blue dye with 1 tsp. water to make the dark purple.

In another bowl, add ½ tsp. ColorKitchen Green Dye and ½ tsp. water to make the green dye.

You will separate the frosting into those two bowls, adding more into the purple, less into the green and leaving a very small amount in the mixing bowl. Stir the purple and green frosting to combine completely. When the green frosting is completely combined, add a small dollop into the mixing bowl with the white frosting. This will make a light green or mint colored frosting.

Put the purple frosting in a piping bag with decorating tip #26. Put the green frosting in a piping bag with decorating tip #68 and the mint in a piping bag with decorating tip #263.

Pipe one or two roses on top of the pumpkins with purple frosting.

Then pipe leaves around with the green and mint.

Store in the fridge or in an airtight container. 

~Recipe by Mimi's Cookie Bar