M&M's Piñata Cookies Recipe
Prep Time:
1 hour, 50 minutes
Cook Time:
22 minutes
Servings:
12 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups butter, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 12 drops food coloring, various shades (or more to desired color)
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • ½ cup mini M&M's
Directions
  1. Beat the butter and sugar on low to medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  2. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing to combine after each addition.
  3. Add the vanilla, flour, salt, and baking powder and beat until a smooth dough forms.
  4. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 6 equal pieces.
  5. Using gloved hands, work different shades of food coloring into each piece of dough to create six brightly colored balls.
  6. Measure your piñata cookie cutter and lay out a long sheet of plastic wrap.
  7. Press the first ball of dough into a rectangle as wide as your cookie cutter about a ½-inch thick and place it onto the plastic wrap.
  8. Repeat with the remaining colors, stacking the rectangles of dough on top of each other.
  9. Hold the piñata cutter up against the side of the cube of dough and make sure the dough is wider and taller than your cutter. If not, press and push the dough to make the dimensions work.
  10. Wrap and chill the dough for at least 1 hour until firm.
  11. Preheat the oven to 375 F, then line two standard baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
  12. Slice the dough into ¼-inch thick slices and transfer them to the baking sheets, spacing them only slightly apart. (You should have 24 slices.)
  13. Cut out the piñata shapes and reserve the scraps.
  14. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until firm.
  15. Cut out the warm cookies once more using a clean piñata cutter.
  16. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and gently ball up the scraps to ¼-inch thickness.
  17. Cut out 12 piñatas and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until firm.
  18. While warm, cut the cookies using a clean piñata cutter, and cut out centers using a 1-inch cutter or a small paring knife.
  19. Cut out any fun shapes from the remaining scraps and bake for 6 to 10 minutes depending on size until firm.
  20. Set all the cookies aside to cool completely.
  21. Mix the confectioners' sugar and milk to make a smooth icing.
  22. Transfer it to a plastic sandwich or piping bag and cut a small hole for a tip.
  23. Pipe icing lightly over the edges of the 12 whole piñata cookies and top with the cutout cookies.
  24. Fill the cutout centers with M&M's in a single layer.
  25. Pipe icing around the edges of the cookies and top with the remaining whole piñatas.
  26. Serve the piñata cookies along with the small shapes.