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Spiral Sugar Cookies

By Holly Christy December 21, 2016
I made these for my family's Christmas cookie exchange, and they were a huge hit! Not only did they taste good, but they were super cute too. And the best part is, there are plenty of ways for your kids to help with these!

Pink for Valentine’s Day, green for St. Patrick’s Day – customize these adorable cookies for your occasion.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tube gel food coloring, any color
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup multi-colored nonpareil decors

Instructions: 
1. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugars in a food processor. Add butter and vanilla and process until mixture just forms a ball.

2. Divide the dough in half and return one of the halves to the food processor. Add the almond extract, food coloring and 2 tablespoons of flour to the processor and process until just incorporated.

3. Roll out each portion of dough between sheets of waxed paper into an 8x11-inch rectangle, with ¼-inch thickness. Stack the dough, leaving the waxed paper between them, and place on a baking sheet in the refrigerator until firm.

4. Pour the decors into a shallow rectangular dish.

5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and peel off the top piece of waxed paper from each dough half. Lift one piece and flip it over onto the other half so that the two pieces of dough are touching. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper and trim the long the edges with a sharp knife so that the sides are straight.

6. When the dough becomes just pliable, roll the dough into a log, beginning with a long end. Gently curl the edge with fingertips and try to avoid creating pockets of air.

7. Carefully lift the log into the dish with the decors and roll until the outside is completely coated. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to slice.

8. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Slice log into ¼-inch-thick discs and bake on parchment-lined baking sheets for 15-17 minutes.