Description
Delight in these festive Swirled Christmas Cookies featuring colorful red and green swirls, tender buttery texture, and a sprinkle-coated finish. Perfect for holiday celebrations, these charming cookies combine almond and vanilla flavors with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (250g)
- 1 large egg, room temperature (56g)
- 2 tsp almond extract (10g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (5g)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (390g)
- 1 tsp cornstarch (3g)
- 1 tsp baking powder (4g)
- 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
Decoration and Coloring
- 1 cup Christmas sprinkles (nonpareils recommended)
- Red gel food coloring
- Green gel food coloring
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until the mixture lightens in color, incorporating air to create a tender dough.
- Add Flavorings and Egg: Mix in the large egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste on medium speed until fully combined, scraping the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: At low speed, add all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt to the butter mixture just until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom to ensure even distribution without overmixing.
- Divide and Color Dough: Divide the dough into three equal parts (~10 oz or 305g each). Leave one portion plain, color one with red gel food coloring, and the other with green gel food coloring. Flatten each into rectangles about 1/3 inch thick and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Chill Dough: Refrigerate wrapped dough portions for 30 minutes, or freeze for 10 minutes, or chill overnight. If chilled overnight, let dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before rolling.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) 30 minutes before baking. Line two large baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Roll Out Dough Portions: Remove dough from plastic wrap and roll each portion into approximately 7×12-inch rectangles on the plastic wrap to facilitate easy cleanup and handling.
- Stack and Roll Dough: Place parchment paper on the counter and layer dough with green on the bottom, plain in the middle, and red on top. Gently roll them together with a rolling pin, trim uneven edges, and cut a diagonal on one long side for a well-defined spiral.
- Form Cookie Log: Roll the layered dough from the cut edge into a tight spiral log, using the parchment to assist. Press the seam gently with your finger to seal the log.
- Coat with Sprinkles: Pour Christmas sprinkles on a rimmed tray and roll or press the cookie log in sprinkles until fully coated.
- Slice Cookies: Using a sharp knife, cut cookies about 1/3 inch thick while the dough is still cold. If the log softens, chill for 15-30 minutes. Place cookies on prepared sheets spaced 1 inch apart.
- Bake Cookies: Bake one sheet at a time on the middle oven rack for 12-14 minutes, rotating halfway. Remove when edges just start to color; underbaking slightly ensures soft texture.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.
- Storage: Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 20 medium-sized swirled cookies; yield and bake time may vary depending on cookie thickness.
- The recipe can be doubled for larger batches without adjusting bake times.
- Proper creaming of butter and sugar is essential for soft and tender cookies.
- Use gel food coloring to maintain dough consistency and achieve vibrant colors.
- Consistent slicing thickness (1/3 inch) promotes even baking.
- Chilling dough prevents excessive spreading and improves texture.
- Avoid overbaking; cookies firm up as they cool.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
