For those with a candy corn addiction at Halloween, these Candy Corn Cookies will fit right in with your other Halloween goodies. The cookies have a hint of orange flavor and are made sparkly with a sprinkling of turbinado sugar before baking.

Candy Corn Cookies

Ingredients:

Parchment paper or wax paper and small amount of vegetable shortening for preparing loaf pan

Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

¼ teaspoon pure orange extract

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest (about ½ orange)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

Orange Food Coloring

Yellow Food Coloring

About 1/2 cup Turbinado Sugar

Directions:

1. Prepare one 9x5x2¾ inch loaf pan or one 8x4x2¼ inch loaf pan; lightly grease with shortening and then line with parchment paper or wax paper.
   

Tip: Greasing the pan before lining with paper helps the paper adhere to the side of the pan better. Cut a large enough piece of parchment or wax paper so there is overhang, making it easier to remove from the pan. Use either the larger pan which will make smaller sized cookies, or the smaller pan which will make larger sized cookies.

Dough:

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt together, sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
   
   
3. In a small bowl, stir the orange juice and orange extract together. Set aside.
   
   
4. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and orange zest on medium speed about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color. Add sugar; cream together until mixture appears light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add egg; beat until thoroughly mixed.
   
   
5. With the mixer on low speed, add about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended.  Scrape the bowl down, and add ½ of the orange juice mixture, blending just until mixed. Scrape the bowl down again and continue alternating with the flour mixture and remaining orange juice mixture, ending with the last portion of the flour, and stirring just until blended.
   
   
6. Divide the dough into thirds. Place one-third or the white dough in the bottom of the loaf pan, packing it down evenly.
   
   
7. Add orange food color to make the desired shade of orange to one of the remaining one-third portions of dough. Place the orange dough over the white dough in the pan, packing it evenly over the white dough.
   
   
8. Add yellow food color to make the desired shade of yellow to the remaining one-third portion of dough. Place the yellow dough over the orange dough in the pan, packing it evenly over the orange dough.
   
   
9. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
   
   
10. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Baking sheets may be ungreased, lined with parchment paper, or lined with a non-stick baking mat.
    
    
11. Grabbing the top edges of the parchment or wax paper, lift dough from loaf pan, remove paper and discard. Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut dough crosswise into ¼ inch slices. Cut each slice into 5 or 6 triangle shaped wedges, trimming edges to make even if necessary.
    
    
12. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with turbinado sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Return remaining dough to refrigerator until ready to use.
    
    Bake:
13. Bake 9 minutes or until cookies are set and the edges are just barely browned. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.
    
     TheBakingPan.com
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