Dress these festive cookies up for the
holidays by dipping the pressing glass into colored sugar crystals
instead of granulated sugar.
Swirled Mint Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
10 drops red food coloring
10 drops green food coloring
Sugar
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with
an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add
1 cup sugar, and baking powder. Beat until fluffy. Beat in egg,
vanilla and peppermint extracts. Stir in flour until just mixed
Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Stir
red food coloring into one portion; stir green food coloring
into a second portion; and leave third portion plain. Cover each
portion with foil or plastic wrap and chill about 1 hour or until
easy to handle.
Divide each color of dough into 4 equal
portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into
a 1/2-inch diameter rope. Place a red, green and plain rope side
by side. Twist together. Repeat with the remaining ropes. Chill
twisted ropes for 30 minutes.
Cut the ropes into 1/2-inch slices for
larger cookies and 1/4-inch slices for smaller ones. Carefully
roll into balls, blending colors as little as possible. Place
balls about 2-inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using
a glass dipped in additional sugar, flatten each ball of dough
to 1/4-inch thickness.
Bake in a 375*F (190*C) oven for 8 to
10 minutes for larger cookies (6 to 8 minutes for smaller ones)
or until edges are set. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool
completely.
Make about 5 dozen large cookies and 10
dozen small cookies.
