Even the youngest students of astrology can recognize and appreciate a star. By making your own colorful star cookies you can have an excuse to talk about astronomy while maintaining the attention of kids who are eager to partake of your “out-of-this-world” cookies. Here is what you need to create these unique star cookies: mixing bowls, measuring spoons, star-shaped cookie cutters (mini and regular size), electric mixer, rolling pin, self-sealing plastic bags, baking sheets, and spatula. Make the sugar cookie recipe that you have. Chill the dough for the amount of time recommended. When the dough has been chilled, roll it out and use the standard size cookie cutter to cut out the star shapes. Next, use a smaller cookie cutter in a star shape and punch it though the center of the cookie cut-outs you just made. Now fill a re-sealable plastic bag with the colorful hard candies and break them up in the bag by hitting the bag with a rolling pin or meat cleaver. Set the cookies on a baking sheet and fill the star shaped hole in the center of each cookie with some of the broken chunks of candy. Bake the cookies according to the baking instructions. The hard candy will melt in the oven and make a type of stained glass design right in the middle of your cookie. Using different colors in your cookies makes for a good segway into a lesson about how stars can be a lot of different colors. You may also want to take the opportunity to teach your kids that starts are really shaped more like our sun than like the traditional star shape that we recognize.
