Description
These festive Christmas Swirl Butter Cookies combine classic buttery sweetness with vibrant red and green swirls, perfect for holiday celebrations. Soft, flavorful, and beautifully layered, these cookies bring a cheerful touch to your cookie platter while being delightfully simple to make from scratch.
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
Coloring
- Red gel food coloring
- Green gel food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set this mixture aside for later incorporation.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, indicating it has incorporated plenty of air. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and continue mixing until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Incorporate the Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet butter mixture, mixing gently until a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Divide and Color the Dough: Divide the dough evenly into three portions. Leave one portion plain, and add red gel food coloring to one portion and green gel food coloring to the other. Knead each colored dough well until the color is fully integrated and uniform.
- Roll the Dough: On separate pieces of wax paper, roll each dough portion into a rectangle approximately ¼ inch thick. The wax paper prevents sticking and helps with handling the dough.
- Stack the Layers: Carefully stack the three dough rectangles—plain, red, then green—on top of each other, gently pressing them together to adhere without squashing the layers.
- Form the Swirl Log: Starting from one long edge, roll the stacked layered dough gently into a log shape to create a swirled pattern within. Wrap the dough log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour to allow it to firm up for slicing.
- Preheat the Oven: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and facilitate easy cleanup.
- Slice and Bake: Remove the chilled dough log from the refrigerator and slice it into ¼-inch thick rounds. Place these cookies on the prepared baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart to allow for slight spreading. Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly golden.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- Using gel food coloring helps achieve vibrant colors without adding extra moisture to the dough.
- Make sure the butter is softened, not melted, for the best texture in the cookies.
- Chilling the dough log before slicing ensures clean, uniform cookies with defined swirl patterns.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- For a nut-free version, ensure almond extract is omitted or substituted with vanilla extract.
