What colors do you think of when you think of Christmas? If it’s red, white and green, then you’re not alone. Most of us think of red Santa outfits, big white beards and green Christmas trees decorated with sparkles and twinkles.
The December festive season is awash with gifts, exuberance, treats and more treats. Many of these treats are deliciously sweet and colored all kinds of bright, vibrant reds and greens. Some of us even make our own! It’s a fun way to involve the whole family, mixing, baking and frosting cakes and biscuits.
But all those colors are generally made using questionable ingredients and artificial colors. Artificial food colorings have been linked to behavioral and developmental problems in kids in some studies. Not our idea of Christmas cheer!
But never fear! We have a natural solution, and your colored frosting will be just as bright and enticing, with added health benefits from our superfood powders!
Superfood Powder Power
Our cute collection of wintery wear, trees, and snowflakes in cookie form have all been colored with our superfood powders. The beauty of coloring your own frosting is that you can add as much or as little as you like, to get the exact color you’re looking for.
Add a small sprinkle to begin with, and work it into your frosting a little at a time. Add a little more and build up slowly to get just the right hue.
What’s more, each superfood has its own health benefits, so here’s a guide to the powders we used:
Pink – Organic Raspberry Powder – who doesn’t love the taste of juicy raspberries? Rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients that help to support a healthy immune system, raspberry powder adds a fruity sweetness to bakes and biscuits.
Light caramel – Organic Milk Thistle Powder – with antioxidant superpowers, milk thistle also supports a healthy liver and promotes the effective elimination of toxins.
Light blue/green – Butterfly Pea Powder – packed with antioxidants, it is so much more than a beautiful blue! Butterfly pea works to support healthy immunity and good all-around health.
Deep red – Red Beet Powder – a great source of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, without the strong veggie flavor. Red beet is also rich in nitrates which help to promote increased stamina and performance and supports a healthy heart and normal blood pressure.
Dark brown – Organic Reishi Mushroom Powder – an amazing super mushroom that has anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties that can also help to lower blood pressure and support cognitive function.
Dark green – Butterfly Pea and Japanese Knotweed Powder – rich in resveratrol, an antioxidant polyphenol that helps to protect the body from free radical damage and chronic inflammation and support good heart health. You can also obtain this using Butterfly Pea and turmeric if you have that on hand!
Purple – Acai Berry Powder – a Brazilian superfruit, this acai powder is wild-harvested from the Amazon and is said to contain more immune-boosting antioxidants than cranberries and blueberries. Acai can help reduce swelling and inflammation in the joints and support healthy, youthful skin.
Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
1 Cup unsalted butter
1 Cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F
In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth, at least 3 minutes
Beat in extracts and egg.
In a separate bowl combine baking powder and salt with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff. If it becomes too stiff for your mixer turn out the dough onto a countertop surface.
Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH.
Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8).
Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes.
Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-4 Tbsp milk
Superfood Powder coloring as needed
Instructions
With a standing mixer or hand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes--it seems like a long time, but it's worth it!).
Add in powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time (beginning with only 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar), beating well after each addition.
Add in vanilla extract and 2 Tbsp of milk, beating well.
If the frosting seems too thin, add in the remaining powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add in the remaining milk.
Add in powder food coloring until the desired color is reached (I would recommend starting with a teaspoon and building as needed).
Spread or pipe onto cookie & Enjoy!
If making ahead of time, keep the frosting in the fridge, and then let the frosting come to room temperature before spreading onto cookies.
We’d love to see what you come up with - make sure you show us your creations on social media!! (@nature.restore on Instagram)
Frosting recipe inspired by A Latte Food
Cookie recipe from Katrina's Kitchen
