Sandra Lee semi-homemade

Ingredients

RED COOKIES

• 1 pouch (17.5 ounces) sugar cookie mix, Betty Crocker®

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1⁄3 cup butter, softened

• 1 egg

• 2 teaspoons imitation raspberry extract, McCormick®

• 8 drops red food coloring, McCormick®

• Sucker sticks

WHITE COOKIES

• 1 pouch (17.5 ounces) sugar cookie mix, Betty Crocker®

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1⁄3 cup butter, softened

• 1 egg

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, McCormick®

BLUE COOKIES

• 1 tube (16.5 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, Pillsbury®

• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons blueberry syrup, Smucker’s®

DECORATIONS

• 1 can (12 ounces) whipped fluffy white frosting (optional), Duncan Hines®

• Red, white, and blue decorating icings and gels

• Red, white, and blue sparkling sugar, sanding sugar, sprinkles, and/or star candies

Directions

1. For red cookies, in a large bowl, combine 1 pouch sugar cookie mix and 1 tablespoon flour. Add 1⁄3 cup butter, 1 egg, the raspberry extract, and red food coloring, stirring until mixture forms a dough. Shape dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll out chilled dough to 1⁄2-inch thickness. Using Independence Day-theme cookie cutters, cut out various shapes. Reroll scrap dough to cut out more shapes. Transfer same-size cookies to prepared cookie sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart.* Carefully insert a sucker stick into each cookie, pressing firmly. Chill cutout cookies in refrigerator for at least
   1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies for 6 to 12 minutes (depending on size) or until cookies are puffed. Cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool completely.

4. For white cookies, in a large bowl, combine 1 pouch sugar cookie mix and 1 tablespoon flour. Add 1⁄3 cup butter, 1 egg, and the vanilla extract, stirring until mixture forms a dough. Shape dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

5. Continue as directed in Steps 2 and 3 above.

6. For blue cookies, in a large bowl, stir together sugar cookie dough, the 1⁄2 cup flour, and the blueberry syrup until well mixed. Shape dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

7. Continue as directed in Steps 2 and 3 above.

8. To decorate cookies, spread fluffy white frosting on cooled cookies. Decorate with decorating icings and gels, sparkling sugar, sanding sugar, sprinkles, and/or star candies.
   *Note: Arrange same-size cookies together on cookie sheet so small shapes don’t overbake while large shapes take longer to fully bake.