Star-Shaped Red, White, and Blue Cookies

Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
2. To a large, microwave-safe bowl add the butter and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power.
3. Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
4. Add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
5. Add the sprinkles and stir to incorporate.
6. Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula as necessary. Bake for about 20 to 24 minutes, or until top is set in center and done; don’t overbake. Blondies firm up as they cool. A toothpick should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Place pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 90 minutes before cutting and frosting.
7. Cut with star-shaped cookie cutters or simply frost the entire pan if desired.

Frosting

1. If using a tub of store-bought frosting, skip to step 5. Otherwise, follow the instructions below.
2. To a large bowl (or to the bowl of a stand mixer), add the butter and beat until light and creamy.
3. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer (or use the paddle attachment of a stand mixer) to incorporate.
4. Add the cream slowly in the amount necessary to achieve desired frosting consistency.
5. Add the red food color as necessary until desired color is achieved; stir after every 10 drops or 15 drops.
6. Spread frosting over cookies. Note – You may have frosting left over if you don’t like an overly thick amount of frosting on your cookies. If you leave the 8×8 pan intact and don’t cut into cookies, it should be approximately the right amount. Extra frosting will keep airtight in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.
7. Add sprinkles as desired for decorating.