Galaxy Sugar Cookies: How To

Stargazing season is upon us!  It is just warm enough to stay out at dark without freezing!  We enjoy gazing at stars, planets and galaxies like Andromeda!  I decided to task myself with a unique idea – making galaxy cookies without icing, just sugar cookie dough.  I thought of this idea after looking at one of my husband’s astro-images of Andromeda.  How pretty!

I decided to start with the pin wheel sugar cookie idea to create the “spin” of the galaxy with cookie dough.  These cookies are perfect for stargazing parties, astronaut themed birthdays, and even just because!

Here’s what you need:

1.  Sugar Cookie Dough – any kind will do, even prepackaged cookie dough should work fine.

2.  Food Coloring – I used red, pink, purple, and blue

Let’s get started!

First, divide your sugar cookie dough into fourths, and then divide one of the parts into half again.  You will have five parts in total.

 

Kneed food coloring into each section – blue, purple, and pink for the larger sections, red for one of the smaller sections, and neutral for the last section. 

After reviewing my galaxy image, I decided that I needed to have several layers to make several layers in the “spin”.  To make three layers, split all the colored balls into thirds.

Now, make three rainbow layers, white, then red, then pink, and purple and blue.  Roll them together so they are smooth stripes, but one layer of dough.  Repeat this with the other two sections, layer the rolled out dough using wax paper and pop them in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm the dough.    

Pin wheel cookies are made by rolling the two or three different color layers starting at the same end, however to get the galaxy “spin” effect, you need to start the layers when the next color starts. To do this, lay the sugar cookie dough layers with the second layer’s neutral starting at the first layer’s red layer like below.

Start rolling!  Once completely rolled, put the roll in the fridge again for 20 minutes to firm up the dough.

Now the fun part!  Start cutting the dough into cookie sized slices.  The first few might not look like a galaxy depending on how smooth your layers where, keep cutting.  

Once cut, put in the oven according to the sugar cookie recipe. 

Enjoy!  Check out my Galaxy Cupcakes too! And happy stargazing!