Description
Delightful peppermint-infused cookies with festive red swirls, perfect for holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Red gel food coloring
- 1/4 cup coarse sugar or crushed peppermint candies for coating
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer.
- Beat in the egg, then add the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Mix until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined, making a soft dough.
- Divide the dough in half. Leave one half plain and add red gel food coloring to the second half. Mix until the color is uniform.
- Wrap each ball of dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the plain dough into a 10×12 inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Repeat with the red dough, rolling it to the same size and thickness.
- Carefully lay the red dough rectangle on top of the plain dough rectangle and gently press them together.
- Starting from one long side, roll the layered dough tightly into a log, pressing gently to remove air pockets.
- Wrap the dough log tightly in plastic wrap and chill again for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the chilled dough log from the refrigerator. Lightly brush with water or a whisked egg white if desired, then roll in coarse sugar or crushed peppermint candies.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Be careful not to overbake.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Ensure butter is softened but not melted for best texture. Don’t skip the chilling time; it’s key for handling the dough easily.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: cookies, peppermint cookies, holiday dessert, festive cookies, baking