Description
Valentine Day Swirl Cookies are an easy, fun, and visually stunning treat perfect for festive occasions. These cookies feature a beautiful two-tone swirl design with a hint of vanilla and your choice of food coloring or extra extracts. Rolled in colorful sprinkles and baked to a light golden perfection, they offer a delightful combination of buttery texture and sweet crunch, making them an ideal gift or party dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups flour, plus possibly a few more tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup unsifted powdered sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, cut in chunks (about 1 ¼ cups or 285 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional Flavor and Decoration
- ½ teaspoon of food coloring of your choice and/or ½ teaspoon of any desired extra extracts
- 1 ½ cups holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, salt, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until well blended.
- Add Butter and Vanilla: Gradually add chunks of unsalted butter to the dry mixture, continuing to mix until the dough comes together. Incorporate the vanilla extract for flavor.
- Form Dough Ball: Continue mixing until the dough forms a cohesive ball, indicating it’s ready for shaping.
- Divide Dough into Two Portions: Remove all the dough from the bowl and split it evenly into two parts.
- Color One Dough Portion: Place one half of the dough back into the mixer. Add your chosen food coloring and any extra extracts and mix until the color is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Roll Out Dough: Roll each portion of dough between two sheets of wax paper until approximately 11×9 inches in size and ¼ inch thick.
- Chill Dough Sheets: Slide both rolled-out dough sheets onto cookie sheets and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Stack Dough Sheets: After chilling, peel off the top wax papers. Lightly brush the uncolored vanilla dough sheet with water, then flip the colored dough sheet on top, aligning and stacking them evenly.
- Seal and Trim Edges: Gently press the edges of the dough sheets to seal them together. Trim the edges neatly with a small knife to create straight lines.
- Roll into Swirl: Ensure the dough remains cold and pliable, then roll the long side of the dough sheet jelly-roll style into a swirl log.
- Add Sprinkles: Spread holiday sprinkles on a large platter and gently roll the dough log in them to coat the exterior.
- Chill or Freeze Dough Log: Wrap the sprinkle-coated dough log in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Slice and Bake: Slice the chilled dough log into ¼-inch rounds and arrange them on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly golden.
- Cool the Cookies: Allow the baked cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Ensure dough is well chilled before rolling and slicing to maintain its shape during baking.
- Use wax paper to prevent sticking and ease rolling out the dough.
- Customize the food coloring and extracts to suit different themes or flavor preferences.
- For best results, slice cookies uniformly to ensure even baking.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- The dough log can be frozen for up to 3 months for convenient future baking.
