1-Gathering and Mixing Your Ingredients: First, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and get all your ingredients ready. This includes measuring out the flour, baking soda, baking powder, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and gel food coloring. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients like flour, baking soda, and baking powder to ensure they mix evenly.

2-Creaming and Coloring the Dough: Next, in a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy, which takes about 3-4 minutes with an electric mixer. Beat in the egg and vanilla to combine everything well. Gradually add the dry mix to the wet ingredients, stirring until just blended don’t overdo it to keep the cookies tender.

3-Coloring and Forming the Dough: Divide the dough into separate bowls based on how many colors you want.
Mix in a few drops of gel food coloring to each bowl, using about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per color, and gently fold it in for even distribution.
Pinch pieces of the colored dough and form a loose log shape on parchment paper, varying the sizes for that cool tie dye look.
Roll up the dough in the parchment to make a larger log, then chill it for at least 2 hours until it’s firm.

4-Baking and Cooling: Once chilled, slice the log into 1/4-inch pieces and place them on a lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes until the edges turn lightly golden. For cut-out shapes, divide the dough into small pieces, roll it out, and use cutters before baking as directed.
After baking, let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack. Remember, for a great tie dye effect, use various dough piece sizes as you form the log. If you’re using store-bought dough, follow its instructions for temperature and time.