Baking is a total stress reliever for me. Gathering all the ingredients immediately relaxes my shoulders and lets me breathe a little deeper. Cracking the eggs and pulverizing them in the disposal helps too. Sometimes if you came to my house and saw my island stacked with baked goods you might become worried. But I’m ok. I bake and I feel better.

These candy corn cookies were totally my therapy. The mixing, rolling, cutting, scraping and dipping soothed me. Not that I have that much to stress over. I’m pretty blessed and I know my worries are miniscule compared to many. But I stress anyway.

Luckily, something beautiful and delicious is the result. And these were even sweeter because they turned out so cute and were for a good cause. I made them for a bake/handmade craft sale at my husband’s workplace. They raised over $1000 for the North Dakota chapter of The Make-a-Wish-Foundation. Isn’t that amazing? It’s feels pretty great to help out an outstanding cause while doing something I love!

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
4 tsp. milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Orange Food Coloring
¼ cup white chocolate chips
¼-½  cup yellow candy melts

1. Thoroughly cream shortening, butter, sugar and vanilla.

2. Add egg and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in milk.

3.  Sift together dry ingredients together then blend into creamed mixture. Mix in orange food coloring until desired shade has been reached.

4.  Divide dough in half and chill for 1 hour (or overnight – I usually make the dough the night before I am baking).

5.  On a lightly floured surface, roll to 1/4″ thickness (keep remaining dough refrigerated). Cut with candy corn shaped cookie cutter. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

6. Once cooled, melt yellow candy melts. Dip the bottom of the cookie in the melts and place on wax paper.

7. Once the yellow candy melts have hardened, melt the white chocolate and dip the tips of the cookies. Place back on the wax paper and allow to harden before serving. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2 dozen cookies.