Peppermint Red and White Swirl Tree Cookies A Festive Twist on a Classic Favorite!
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoons peppermint extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Royal Icing:
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons meringue powder
56 tablespoons water adjust for consistency
teaspoon peppermint extract
For Decoration:
Red gel food coloring
Toothpicks
Red, white, and silver nonpareils or sprinkles
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Cookie Dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
Divide the dough into two portions, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 2: Roll and Cut the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350F 175C and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the chilled dough to -inch thickness on a floured surface.
Use a tree-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 1012 minutes, or until the edges are just slightly golden.
Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 3: Prepare the Royal Icing
In a mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar and meringue powder.
Add water a tablespoon at a time, beating on low speed, until the icing is smooth and reaches a flood consistency.
Mix in the peppermint extract.
Step 4: Create the Swirl Effect
Divide the icing into two portions. Leave one portion white and color the other red with gel food coloring.
Fill two piping bags: one with white icing and one with red.
Flood each cookie with white icing. While the icing is still wet, pipe red lines or dots across the surface.
Drag a toothpick through the red and white icing to create a swirl pattern.
Step 5: Add Sprinkles
Before the icing sets, sprinkle the cookies with red, white, and silver nonpareils for a festive touch.
Step 6: Dry and Serve
Allow the cookies to dry completely about 46 hours or overnight before serving or storing in an airtight container.