SpongeBob cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Gel or paste food coloring in yellow, red, white, black and brown
• Royal icing or cream cheese frosting, for decorating

Step-by-step preparation

1. In a medium bowl, mix the flour and salt.
2. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until a dough forms.
5. Divide the dough in two and add yellow food coloring to one half for SpongeBob’s face. Add red and brown food coloring to the other half for SpongeBob’s pants.
6. Wrap each portion of dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
7. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Roll out the yellow dough on a floured surface to about 1/2 cm thick. Cut out SpongeBob faces with a round cookie cutter. Place the cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes, until golden. Repeat with the red dough to make SpongeBob’s pants.
9. Let the cookies cool completely before decorating them with royal icing or cream cheese frosting. Use black and white coloring for SpongeBob’s eyes and smile, and brown coloring for his shoes.