Description
These festive Christmas Swirl Butter Cookies are as delightful to look at as they are to eat. With vibrant red and green swirls, they’re the perfect addition to any holiday celebration. The buttery flavor, enhanced with vanilla and almond extracts, melts in your mouth. They’re easy to make and sure to impress your family and friends this holiday season.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Red and green gel food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until smooth.
- Incorporate the Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms.
- Divide and Color the Dough: Divide the dough into three equal portions. Leave one portion plain, then color the other two portions with red and green gel food coloring, kneading until evenly colored.
- Roll the Dough: Roll each dough portion into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Place each layer of dough on wax paper to prevent sticking.
- Stack the Layers: Carefully stack the dough layers (plain, red, and green) on top of each other. Gently press them together.
- Form the Swirl Log: Starting from one long edge, roll the stacked dough into a log, creating a swirl pattern as you go. Wrap the dough log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice and Bake: Once chilled, slice the dough log into ¼-inch rounds. Place the slices on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Chill the Dough Well: Chilling the dough for at least an hour ensures the swirl pattern stays intact when slicing.
- Use Parchment Paper: Parchment paper makes rolling and stacking the dough easier and prevents it from sticking.
- Cookie Thickness: Be sure to roll the dough into even ¼-inch thick layers to get uniform-sized cookies when baked.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 25mg