Turn Your Cookies Into Sticks For A More Elegant-Looking Treat

The time spent experimenting and baking during the holidays can unlock unique treats to delight throughout the year. Whether you love entertaining friends, hosting dinner parties, or giving out baked goods to coworkers, finding different ways to elevate your favorite treats for any season can keep things fun and exciting.

Homemade cookies are a tried and true classic that are well-known and well-loved. There are endless cookie recipes, from chocolate chip to sugar to peanut butter and everything in between. However, to make your cookies look fancier and more unique than a typical circle allows, consider changing their shape by turning them into sticks. Cookie sticks create the perfect vessel for dipping in tea, dunking in chocolate, or wrapping in a gift basket.

The trick to this twist on a classic cookie is quite simple to pull off. Once you've made your cookie dough, layer it with parchment paper and roll it out; it should be flat and relatively thin. For crunchier cookie sticks, the dough should mimic a thick pie crust. For chewier cookies, leave the dough on the thicker side. Once the dough is rolled flat, cut it into strips with a knife or pizza cutter and bake them on a cookie sheet until they reach your desired texture.

To add extra personality to your cookie sticks, cut your dough into thinner strips and twist or braid them before baking. This will leave you with beautiful custom cookies that are uniquely woven together. Sprinkling some powdered sugar on them and placing them in an open jar for everyone to see is the perfect finishing touch. Whether these cookie sticks are destined for your family to enjoy or friends coming over for a book club, they're sure to impress.

The fun part of any cookie-baking activity comes when it's time to decorate. The flavors of your cookie dough will likely depend on the season. As such, adding crushed candy canes to your dough is perfect for winter vibes, and citrus fruits like lemon or orange are great for summer. Your dough flavor will likely determine which toppings you choose, but melting white or dark chocolate for dipping or icing is always a good idea.

For other decoration options, you can make icing from scratch or color melted white chocolate with dried fruit powders or pigmented vegetables like beets or turmeric. This will allow you to dip your cookie sticks halfway into the chocolate and use it as glue for sprinkles, candies, or even flaky sea salt for a sweet-savory twist. Try pastel-colored M&Ms for spring or purple and green sprinkles for Halloween. Shredded coconut or crushed nuts are also versatile options. Use your creativity!