Color-Field Cookies

Updated Oct. 19, 2022

Color-Field Cookies
Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Total Time
1 hour, plus drying
Rating
4(672)
Comments
Read comments

This tribute to the artist Ellsworth Kelly’s work “Nine Colors,” requires just one decorating skill: mixing colors. Use gel food coloring for the best results, and blend the colors together gradually, using the tip of a toothpick to control their transformation. For muted tones, add a touch of brown, or a complementary color, like a drop of purple to bright orange. Try a mixing lighter color first. Then, once you’ve used it, make it darker. For example, sky blue can be deepened with the addition of royal blue, navy blue or a combination. Don’t feel tied to the colors produced in Kelly’s work, but rather, think of these as an experiment in color.

Featured in: 12 Stunning Cookies That Will Impress Everyone You Know

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe
  • Print Options


Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:2 dozen cookies

    For the Glaze

    • 1(1-pound/455-gram) box confectioners’ sugar (3¾ cups), plus more if needed
    • 3tablespoons light corn syrup
    • 2teaspoons fresh lemon juice
    • 3 to 4tablespoons warm water, plus more if needed

    For the Cookies and Decorating

    • Gel food coloring, preferably red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown and white
    • 1recipe Basic Sugar Cookies, cut into 3-inch circles, baked and cooled
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the glaze: Combine box of confectioners’ sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons warm water in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork to combine well, slowly adding water as needed to achieve the desired consistency. You should have 2 cups total. Test the glaze on a cookie as you go: If it doesn’t spread out on its own to a smooth finish within 10 seconds, it is too thick and needs more water. If it runs off the edge of the cookie, it’s too thin and needs more confectioners’ sugar.

  2. Step 2

    Let glaze sit, tightly covered, until ready to use, stirring occasionally. The glaze will keep for at least a week in a small airtight container like a glass jar.

  3. Step 3

    Decorate the cookies: Pour about ⅓ cup glaze into a small, wide bowl. Starting with a light gel food coloring, mix in color until desired shade is reached. Holding a cookie by the edges, with the top-side down, dip into the glaze, moving the cookie around a bit to make sure it coats the whole surface. Gently shake the cookie from side to side to let the excess glaze drip off.

  4. Step 4

    Use a small offset spatula to stop the flow of icing, gently scrape cookie against edge of bowl, and flip the cookie over. Use the spatula to spread the icing to pop any air bubbles, and make sure it goes all the way to the edges. The glaze should quickly smooth out on its own. If not, thin it out a bit until it does. Use your fingers to wipe away any icing on the outside edges.

  5. Step 5

    Continue in this way until you have mixed nine different colors and coated 2 or 3 of the cookies in each color. Let dry completely, a few hours. Cookies will keep in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Ratings

4 out of 5
672 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

What gel food coloring do people recommend?

I've used Julie Usher's cookie cookbook (& YouTube and website) for cookie decoration inspiration, and she recommends the Chefmaster liqua-gel colors. I find those to be vibrant, with no weird off tastes. I also always add just a drop or to of Fiori di Sicilia flavoring to any sugar cookie recipe for a hint of lemon/orange flavor that really kicks the flavor up. King Arthur Flour's website sells it.

If you change something basic about a recipe, don't blame the original writer and don't thank them sarcastically. Splenda is not a substitute for sugar or for corn syrup (BTW Karo is not high fructose corn syrup). And do you mean you used artificial vanilla (why not real) instead of food coloring?

We made this recipe for the Teacher Appreciation week at my kids' school and it was both delicious and very kid friendly in terms of decorating the cookies.

Used Anericolor which was brilliant. I think the glaze is a tad too sweet for me given ratio to a 1/4” sugar cookie. Not sure if I did something wrong but when I stored these separated by wax paper in layers. The sheen finish came off in areas on the cookies that were covered. I waited for them to fully set (about 4 hours) before storing. Next year will store in single layers in flat containers to avoid any direct contact w tops.

Could’ve made half, significantly better the next day, maybe next time I’ll use cornstarch in place of some of the sugar and a juice in place of any water

Private comments are only visible to you.

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.