CINCO DE MAYO PINATA COOKIES RECIPES

Steps:

• Open tolls of cookie dough; separate into 4 equal portions. Tint 1 portion red, 1 portion yellow, 1 portion orange (mixing red and yellow) and 1 portion turquoise (mixing blue and green).
• Divide each colored portion of dough into thirds. Measure burro-shaped cookie cutter (or desired shape) and find a container as deep as the cookie cutter is tall.* In container, alternately layer colors of dough in desired order. Cover; refrigerate until firm.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Remove dough from container; cut into 1/4-inch slices. On cookie sheets, place slices 2 inches apart.
• Bake 6 to 10 minutes or until set. While still warm, cut cookies with burro-shaped cookie cutter. In 16 of the cookies, use small round cookie cutter to cut out center of burro. Gently remove cutout portion of cookie. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup and vanilla with whisk until smooth. Tint with desired food color. Spoon icing into decorating bag fitted with small round tip or small resealable food-storage plastic bag with tiny corner cut off.
• For each sandwich cookie, pipe icing around top edge of 1 whole burro cookie. Top with 1 burro cookie with cutout center; pipe icing around edge of burro. Fill hole in center with candies. Top with second whole burro cookie.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a whoopie pie pan and two brownie pop molds with baking spray. Then mix cookie mix with flour, butter and egg.
• Divide dough into four equal parts. Color one part red, one yellow, one blue and one green.
• Divide each colored dough into 8 equal pieces, about a tablespoon each. Roll into balls. Press half of the dough balls into the cavities in the whoopie pie pan. (You'll want to fill 4 cavities per color, and may have to bake the cookies in two batches.)
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool.
• Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Press remaining dough balls into individual cavities in brownie pop silicone molds, making 4 hat crowns of each color. Use your finger to create a well in the center of each dough ball. Press the dough up the sides of the mold, up to the fill line, about 1/4 inch from the top of the mold. Freeze molds for 10 minutes, then bake for 14 minutes.
• Remove from oven and use the handle of a wooden spoon to reshape the well in the cookies.
• Return to the oven for 4-8 minutes until cookies are baked through. Reshape if needed. Allow to cool completely, then remove from mold.
• Pipe a line of cookie icing around the base of each cookie crown. Sprinkle on some non-pareils. Allow to dry.
• Turn cookie crowns upside down, fill with candies, pipe some icing around the top edge, and press a round cookie brim onto the cookie crown to create the sombrero. Turn cookies right side up to decorate.
• Use icing and sugar pearls to decorate the edges of the hat brims.