Op-Art Cookies

You’ve seen wooden cookie molds in cooking stores; you may even have some hanging on your kitchen wall. They’re decorative, all right, but they actually have a practical use--molding cookies. And these prettily shaped cookies lend themselves beautifully to “water coloring.”

The Times Test Kitchen used reader Cynthia Horton’s recipe for Dutch Sugar Cookies (see H6) but increased the flour from 1 1/2 to 2 cups to make it easier to handle when pressing the dough into the molds.

Roll the dough out about 1/4 inch thick. Dust the molds with cornstarch, then press into dough. Cut around the mold to remove excess dough. Lift off mold and place on baking sheet. Freeze cookies 30 minutes to 2 hours, then bake at 300 degrees about 20 minutes. Cookies should not brown; they should be very pale.

Be sure to dust molds with cornstarch after every two or three pressings to prevent sticking. Use a soft brush, such as a mushroom brush, to clean dough out of any little nooks or crannies in the mold.

COOKIE WATERCOLOR

4 egg whites

Red, yellow, green and blue food coloring

Superfine sugar

1 recipe Sugar Cookies

* Place each egg white in its own small bowl and beat each lightly.

* Put 1 to 2 drops red food coloring in one bowl, 1 to 2 drops yellow food coloring in second bowl and 1 to 2 drops green food coloring in third bowl. Put 1 to 2 drops red food coloring and 1 to 2 drops blue food coloring in fourth bowl to make purple. Colors should be subtle, but more food coloring can be added to make darker colors.

* Paint cooled cookies as desired and dust with superfine sugar while they are still wet. Bake at 325 degrees to lightly glaze cookies, 2 to 3 minutes. Cool completely on rack and store in airtight container.