Description
These festive Christmas Swirl Butter Cookies feature a beautiful tri-color swirl in traditional holiday red, green, and plain butter dough. Soft, buttery, and lightly flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, these cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings and gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Additional
- Red gel food coloring
- Green gel food coloring
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly mixed. Set this mixture aside for later.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter with granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, mixing until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Mix dry into wet: Gradually incorporate the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring until a soft dough forms without overworking.
- Divide and color dough: Split the dough into three equal parts. Leave one portion plain, add red gel food coloring to one portion, and green gel food coloring to the other, kneading each until the colors are even throughout.
- Shape dough layers: Roll each colored and plain dough portion into a rectangle approximately ¼ inch thick. Place each rolled dough sheet onto wax paper to prevent sticking.
- Stack and assemble: Carefully stack the three dough rectangles one atop the other in this order: plain, red, and green. Gently press them together to adhere but take care not to distort the layers.
- Form dough log: Beginning at a long edge, roll the stacked dough layers into a tight log, creating the iconic swirl pattern. Wrap the dough log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
- Slice and bake: Remove the chilled dough log from the refrigerator and slice into ¼-inch thick rounds. Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn lightly golden.
- Cool: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes after baking, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened to room temperature for easier mixing and better texture.
- Gel food coloring is preferred over liquid to avoid altering dough consistency.
- Refrigerating the dough log is essential for clean slices and maintaining the swirl design.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- These cookies can also be frozen after baking for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
