Sometimes a holiday and a cookie cutter meet to inspire something out of this world. That’s exactly what happened to me this year. I’ve had a shooting star cookie cutter for several years, but have only used it a few times. Suddenly the 4th of July and the shooting star cookie cutter joined forces and called my name. With these two things in mind, I was ready to develop a plan.

I couldn’t resist making these Cotton Tail Cookies for Easter. They are so simple and whimsical. Easter lends itself well to pastel colors, so that’s exactly what I used for the icing. Seeing them all in a row makes me smile. I just know that these cuties are about to embark on a great adventure.

These Sweet & Sour Lemon Cookies will make your lips pucker in the best possible way. The first bite is really tart because the glaze is made with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a healthy amount of lemon zest. As you chew, the sweetness of the cookie itself — which has the barest hint of lemon — comes through to smooth everything out. It’s the perfect expression of love itself. I don’t know about you, but the people I love the most are also the ones that can break my heart.

Oh-so-red and oh-so-delicious. I’ve already confessed to my passion about baking Brown Butter Cutout Cookies for Valentine’s Day (see With All My Heart). Now I’m admitting that red is my color of choice to decorate cookies for this holiday. But getting the right shade of red is not an easy feat because adding enough food coloring to get the red you want can sometimes negatively affect the taste of your cookie.

There are a two holidays where most people are inclined to throw caution to the wind when it comes to monitoring their sugar intake: Christmas and Valentine’s Day. So I saw no reason to hold back on these beautiful embossed Brown Sugar Cutout Cookies. After covering them with embossed homemade fondant (a yummy combination of white chocolate “dough” and melted marshmallows), I lightly dusted them with confectioners’ sugar for an elegant highlight. You’re welcome!