Geode Sugar Cookies

I love making beautiful desserts that taste as good as they look. Geode cakes have been a popular trend for weddings and special events, so I decided to try the same concept to make cookies. These are relatively simple to make, yet stunning and sure to impress your friends. So let's get started!

Cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups flour

Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 3 - 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Decorations

• rock candy
• gel food color
• gold luster dust

Tools

• mixing bowls
• spatula
• electric mixer
• rolling pin
• cookie sheets
• parchment paper
• cookie cutters
• food safe paint brush

NOTE: If you have a favorite sugar cookie recipe, you can use it! This recipe makes a soft cookie, but any sugar cookie will work fine. If you prefer Royal Icing, that works too!

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy, about 2 minutes on medium speed.

Add sugar and beat until mixture is fluffy and pale in color, about 3 minutes on medium speed. Add egg, vanilla and salt and mix until combined.

Add flour and mix on low until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of waxed or parchment paper. Cut out shapes. I used a 3 inch round cookie cutter, but you can use any shape. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack. This recipe makes about 16 cookies (3 inch round).

Mix together powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and 3 tablespoons of milk. Icing should have the consistency of honey. If it is too thick, add more milk.

Separate into individual bowls and color with food coloring. I used black and gray for these cookies. You only need a small amount of each color. Now, the fun part! drizzle a little of the colored icing on top of the bowl of white icing and stir with a toothpick to create a marbled effect.

Dip the tops of the cookies in the icing and let excess drip back into the bowl. Place on wire rack and immediately sprinkle rock candy on top. Let dry completely.

Thin the food coloring with water to make a liquid. Paint the rock candy to resemble a geode. I kept the color lighter around the edges and darker in the center. Next, mix the gold luster dust with a little vodka to make a liquid. Paint it around the edge of the rock candy geode.

That's it! Enjoy your beautiful & delicious geode cookies!!