Happy 4th of July, everyone!

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday, filled with sun, fun, fireworks, and best of all, FOOD!

I love any excuse to make holiday-themed sweets, and the 4th of July is no exception.  I’ve been known to buy holiday sprinkles, sugars, cupcake liners, cake pans, cookie cutters, etc. and hoard them in my overstuffed pantry, anxiously awaiting an applicable holiday.

I was THRILLED to bust out my red, white, & blue sprinkles, star-shaped cookie cutters, and my festive Jet-Puffed StarMallows, the latest in impulse buys!

I adore red velvet cupcakes, mostly for the cream cheese icing that is their crowning glory.  They’re crowd-pleasers all year-round, but seemed especially appropriate for Independence Day.

I’ve tried a couple scratch recipes, but the idea of dumping a whole bottle of red food coloring into my cake batter still perturbs me, so Duncan Hines Red Velvet is often my recipe of choice! (for some reason, it doesn’t bother me if the coloring is already in the cake mix.)

Top with homemade or store-bought cream cheese icing, colored sugar, and these adorable Kraft marshmallows, and you have a cupcake fit to attend any 4th of July party!

And if you’re feeling extra fancy…

These Nutella-filled sugar cookies have been fan favorites at Wine + Market.  I use two heart-shaped cookie cutters: one large one to cut out all the cookies and one small one to form frames for half the cookies.

They were easy to dress up for Valentine’s Day with a bit of red & white sugar…before baking the tops, I brushed each one with a bit of egg white or milk (whatever you happen to have lying around) and sprinkled with sugar for a bit of sparkle.  These could rival a hand-written valentine for your sweetie!

And for today, I got to showcase the star-shaped cookie cutters and blue sugar!  Years ago, I bought this giant set of cookie cutters on a whim and am so glad they made the cross-country move with me,

These could also be filled with a bit of jam, lemon curd, peanut butter, or whatever you please!  I usually use Nutella (or it’s Kroger equivalent dubbed “Hazelnut spread with cocoa,” which is quite comparable) or this unbelievably delicious dark chocolate peanut butter from the folks at Peanut Butter & Co.

Nutella Frame Cookies (adapted from Alton Brown’s Sugar Cookies)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 egg
• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Powdered sugar for rolling
• A bit of egg white or milk, for brushing
• Raw or colored sugar, for sprinkling
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups Nutella or desired spread

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Add vanilla, milk, and egg and beat to incorporate ingredients.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt and stir to combine.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, beating on low speed until mixture forms a cohesive dough.  Divide dough into two disks and wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerating for at least one hour or overnight, until ready to use.  I have made this dough several days in advance and it keeps extremely well.

Sprinkle rolling pin and surface with powdered sugar and, working with a small portion of dough at a time, roll to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness.  I prefer my cookies thin and crisp, so I roll mine 1/8-inch thick.  Cut with desired cookie cutter and place on parchment lined baking sheets.  A bench scraper or thin spatula makes transferring a cinch.

Using a smaller, similarly shaped cutter, cut centers out of half the cookies to form frames.  The cutouts can be re-rolled or baked on their own for extra little goodies.

Brush frames with a bit of beaten egg white or milk (whites will give you some extra shine) and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake at 375 degrees until edges are lightly brown, about 5-7 minutes, depending on thickness.  Cool briefly on pans and remove to a rack to cool completely.

Once cool, spread each cookie bottom with Nutella and top with the sugar-coated frames.  Enjoy!  These keep well for up to 1 week (if you can make them last that long!) Makes anywhere from 24-30 cookies, depending on size and thickness.