Description
These Peppermint Swirl Sugar Cookies are festive, chewy treats featuring a beautiful swirl of red and white dough with a hint of peppermint flavor. Perfect for holiday celebrations or anytime you crave a sweet and colorful cookie.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (350g)
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk (80g)
- 1 1/2 tsp peppermint or almond extract (optional) (8g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (5g)
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (325g)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch (8g)
- 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (3g)
- Red gel food coloring (as needed)
Coating
- 1 cup granulated sugar or white sanding sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat 1 cup of room temperature butter and 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar together at medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until the mixture looks light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Add 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (optional), and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat at medium-high speed until fully combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: On low speed, add 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp fine salt, and 1/2 tsp baking soda until mostly combined. Scrape the sides and bottom and increase speed to medium, beating briefly to ensure thorough mixing.
- Divide and Color Dough: Split the dough into two equal portions (about 490g each). Place one portion in a large bowl and add red gel food coloring. Mix with a spatula and knead by hand until the color is evenly distributed. Use gloves if desired to avoid staining.
- Form Dough Balls: Using a teaspoon, scoop teaspoon-sized portions from each dough color. Roll each into a ball and set aside.
- Create Swirls: Take three balls of each color (six total), arranging them alternately in a small circle (red, white, red, white, etc.). Press them together to close gaps and round the edges, then gently push stripes in the same direction to create a swirl effect. Repeat with remaining dough to make about 24 cookies.
- Coat in Sugar: Optional: Pour 1 cup granulated or sanding sugar into a small bowl and toss each dough ball to coat fully for added texture.
- Chill the Cookies: Chill the shaped dough balls in the fridge for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up before baking.
- Arrange and Bake: Place cookies a few inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake one tray at a time on the middle oven rack for 13 minutes, until edges look set but not browned.
- Cool: Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- For best texture, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy at the start.
- Space cookies about 2 inches apart on baking sheets to allow for spreading.
- Watch closely during baking; cookies should not brown but be set on the edges when done.
- Use gel food coloring to avoid altering dough consistency compared to liquid food coloring.
- Cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months before baking.
- Unbaked shaped cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days.
- Frozen cookie dough balls can be baked directly from freezer, adding a few extra minutes baking time.
- Baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
- This recipe yields about 24 cookies and can be doubled if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
