Over the centuries, the empty white canvas has called out to the human spirit with an urgency that can seem all possessing. So, too, has the sugar cookie. Our painter combines these two passions, proving you can have your masterpiece--and eat it, too.

MATERIALS

Cookie Canvas
4 egg yolks
Food coloring in several colors

TOOLS

Paper cups
New paintbrushes

Roll out the dough to 1/4- to 1/2-inch thickness, and cut it into six or so 4-by-6-inch canvases. Place them onto a greased baking sheet, two at a time. In each paper cup, blend an egg yolk with 4 to 5 drops of food coloring. Using new paintbrushes, paint the mixture onto the cookies. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sides of the canvas are golden brown.

TIPS: For crisper lines and edges in your composition, etch an outline into the canvas with the end of the paintbrush before painting.

REVIEWERS' COMMENTS: "The egg yolk paint is like watercolors." "If you put the paint on thick enough, it looks like stained glass after it's baked!"

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