Description
These Valentine’s Day Swirl Cookies are a festive and delightful treat featuring a beautiful swirl of colored and vanilla dough, rolled up with holiday sprinkles for a crunchy, colorful finish. Perfect for the holiday or any special occasion, these buttery cookies combine subtle vanilla flavor and vibrant hues in a fun and unique design.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a few more tablespoons if needed
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup unsifted powdered sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 2 ½ sticks (about 1 ¼ cups) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon food coloring of your choice
- ½ teaspoon of any desired extra extract (optional)
Other
- 1 ½ cups holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar using the paddle attachment on medium speed until the mixture is well blended.
- Add Butter and Vanilla: Gradually add the chunks of unsalted butter to the mixer, continuing to mix. Then add the vanilla extract and continue mixing until the dough forms a cohesive ball.
- Divide Dough: Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and divide it into two equal parts.
- Color One Portion: Return one portion of dough to the mixer and add the food coloring and any extra extracts. Mix until the color is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Roll Out Dough Portions: Roll each portion of dough between two sheets of wax paper until it reaches approximately 11 x 9 inches and is about ¼ inch thick. Place both rolled dough sheets onto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Assemble Swirl: Once chilled and firm, remove the top wax paper sheets from both doughs. Lightly brush the surface of the uncolored vanilla dough with water using a pastry brush. Flip the colored dough onto the vanilla dough, stacking them evenly atop each other. Press the edges lightly with your fingertips to seal the layers together. Trim the edges with a small knife to create straight, even sides.
- Roll into Swirl: Ensure the dough is cold, but flexible. Starting at the long side, carefully roll the dough into a tight spiral or jelly-roll style.
- Add Sprinkles: Spread the holiday sprinkles onto a large platter. Gently lift your dough log onto the sprinkles and roll it to coat the outside evenly with sprinkles. Wrap the dough log tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours, or freeze for up to three months.
- Slice and Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Slice the chilled dough into ¼ inch thick slices. Place the slices on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden brown.
- Cool: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- If the dough becomes too wet after adding the food coloring, add extra flour one tablespoon at a time until it is easier to roll out.
- Adding food coloring can sometimes make the dough wetter and harder to handle, so adding extra flour helps maintain the right consistency.
- You can freeze the dough log for up to three months, making it a convenient make-ahead cookie.
- Use a sharp knife to get clean, straight edges on your dough before rolling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
