Description
These Christmas Swirl Butter Cookies are festive, colorful, and perfect for holiday celebrations. Crafted with a simple buttery dough split into vibrant red, green, and natural swirls, these cookies are piped into elegant spirals and decorated with sprinkles or colored sugar, making them both delicious and visually delightful.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2.75 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 0.75 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coloring and Decoration
- Red gel food coloring
- Green gel food coloring
- Assorted sprinkles
- Colored sugar
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined to ensure even distribution of rising agents.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened unsalted butter and powdered sugar together until the mixture becomes light, creamy, and smooth, which will lend a tender texture to the cookies.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Add the large egg and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture, mixing thoroughly until fully combined and smooth, helping to bind the dough.
- Form and Color Dough: Gradually add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until a soft, uniform dough forms. Divide the dough equally into three portions. Leave one plain, tint the second with red gel food coloring, and the third with green gel food coloring, mixing each until the color is evenly dispersed.
- Shape Cookies: Transfer each colored dough portion into separate piping bags fitted with a large star or swirl tip. Pipe distinct spiral shapes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, creating festive swirls.
- Chill Dough: Refrigerate the piped cookies for 20 to 30 minutes to firm up the dough, which helps maintain the shape during baking.
- Bake Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the chilled cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn a light golden color, indicating they are perfectly baked.
- Cool and Garnish: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet. Once cool, decorate with assorted sprinkles or colored sugar to add a festive decorative finish.
Notes
- Chilling the piped dough is essential to keep the intricate swirl shapes intact during baking.
- You can use any star or swirl piping tip depending on the shape you prefer for the cookies.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- These cookies freeze well; just thaw completely before serving.
- Be careful not to overbake to keep the cookies tender and buttery.
