Description
These delightful Valentine’s Day Swirl Cookies feature a beautiful marbled design, combining classic vanilla dough with vibrant colored dough. Rolled together and coated in festive holiday sprinkles, they offer a charming presentation and a sweet, buttery flavor perfect for celebrating special moments.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a few extra tablespoons as needed
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup unsifted powdered sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon food coloring of your choice (optional)
- ½ teaspoon of any desired extra extract (optional)
Toppings
- 1 ½ cups holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed until well blended.
- Add Butter and Vanilla: Gradually add the butter chunks while mixing continues. Once incorporated, add the vanilla extract and continue mixing until the dough forms a cohesive ball.
- Divide Dough: Remove the dough from the mixer and divide it into two equal portions.
- Color One Portion: Place one portion back into the mixer bowl. Add the food coloring and any additional extract you desire. Mix until the color is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Roll Out Dough Sheets: Roll out each dough portion separately between two sheets of wax paper into rectangles measuring about 11 by 9 inches, with a thickness of ¼ inch.
- Chill Dough: Place both rolled dough sheets onto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Assemble Layers: Once firm, remove the top sheets of wax paper from both dough sheets. Lightly brush the uncolored vanilla dough with water using a pastry brush, then carefully flip the colored dough on top, stacking them evenly.
- Seal Edges and Trim: Gently press the edges of the stacked dough sheets with your fingertips to seal. Use a small knife to trim the edges to create straight, even lines.
- Roll Into Swirl: Ensure the dough is cold but pliable. Starting from the long side, roll the dough jelly-roll style into a tight log.
- Add Sprinkles: Spread the holiday sprinkles on a large platter. Gently lift the dough log onto the sprinkles and roll it around so that the sprinkles coat the outside evenly.
- Chill Dough Log: Wrap the dough log tightly in plastic wrap and chill for a few hours, or freeze for up to three months at this stage.
- Slice and Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Slice the chilled dough log into ¼-inch thick rounds and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 15 to 17 minutes or until the edges just start to turn golden brown.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- If the dough feels too wet after adding the food coloring, gradually add extra flour one tablespoon at a time until it becomes workable.
- Adding food coloring can sometimes make cookie dough sticky, so the extra flour helps maintain the right consistency for rolling.
- Cookies can be frozen at the dough log stage for up to three months for convenience.
- Be sure to roll the dough jelly-roll style tightly to create a well-defined swirl pattern when sliced.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
