Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. This creates the perfect base for your cookies.

Add the Egg and Vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined. If you’re using a flax egg, make sure it’s well-prepared and gelatinous before adding.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms.

Portion the Dough: Divide the dough into equal portions, depending on how many colors you’d like to use. For example, if you’re making four colors, split the dough into four balls.

Add Natural Food Dyes: To each portion, add 1-2 tablespoons of your chosen colorful ingredients (e.g., beetroot powder for pink, matcha for green, turmeric for yellow). Mix thoroughly until the color is evenly distributed.

Pro Tip: Start with 1 tablespoon of powder and add more as needed to achieve your desired vibrancy.

Optional Add-Ins: If you’re using white chocolate chips, dried fruit, or citrus zest, fold them into the colored dough at this stage.

Create Colorful Patterns: For marbled cookies, gently twist or layer different colored doughs together. For solid colors, simply roll each portion into a log or ball.

Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Chilling helps the dough firm up, making it easier to handle and preventing the cookies from spreading too much while baking.

Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Shape the Cookies: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls or use cookie cutters for fun shapes. Place them on the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.

Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers may look slightly soft, but they’ll firm up as they cool.

Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sprinkles or Glitter: While the cookies are still slightly warm, sprinkle on edible glitter or colorful sprinkles for extra flair.

Drizzle with Melted Chocolate: For a decadent touch, drizzle melted white or dark chocolate over the cooled cookies