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Artist Palette Cookies

Creative, fun, and delicious sugar cookies shaped like artist palettes, decorated with colorful chocolate candies and pretzel paintbrushes. Perfect for art-themed parties!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 12 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 240

Ingredients
  

Cookie Base
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg large, room temp
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Decorations
  • 1 cup M&M candies sorted by color
  • 1 bag pretzel sticks
  • 0.5 cup dark chocolate candy melts
  • 0.25 cup colored candy melts for brush tips

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Baking sheet
  • Round cookie cutters
  • Hand mixer or stand mixer

Method
 

  1. Cream butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.
  3. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Roll out chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into circles. Punch a small hole near the edge of each circle to create a palette shape.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
  7. Immediately after removing from the oven, gently press colored M&Ms onto the hot cookies to resemble paint blobs. Let cool completely.
  8. Dip one end of pretzel sticks into melted dark chocolate, then dip the very tip into colored candy melts to create paintbrushes. Let dry, then serve with cookies.

Notes

Ensure dough is well-chilled before baking to prevent the cookies from losing their palette shape in the oven.