Valentine’s Day Swirl Cookies Recipe
Delight your Valentine with these charming Valentine’s Day Swirl Cookies featuring a beautiful colored swirl, festive sprinkles, and a buttery vanilla base. Perfect for gifting or celebrating, these cookies combine a soft, tender texture with a visually stunning presentation.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: About 4 servings (approximately 16 to 20 cookies depending on slice thickness)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus a few extra tablespoons if needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Sugars
- 2/3 cup unsifted powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon food coloring of your choice
- 1/2 teaspoon additional extracts (optional, to complement the food coloring flavor)
Decoration
- 1 1/2 cups holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until the mixture is well blended.
- Add Butter and Vanilla: Gradually add the butter chunks into the mixer while mixing continues. Then add the vanilla extract to the mixture to start forming the dough.
- Form Dough Ball: Continue mixing until the dough combines thoroughly and forms a cohesive ball.
- Divide Dough: Take all the dough out and divide it into two equal portions.
- Color One Portion: Place one portion back into the stand mixer and add the food coloring and any additional extracts you desire. Mix until the color is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Roll Out Dough: Roll each portion of dough between two sheets of wax paper, shaping each into an approximately 11 x 9 inch rectangle at about 1/4 inch thickness.
- Chill Dough: Place both rolled-out dough sheets onto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour until firm.
- Assemble Dough Layers: Once firm, remove the wax paper from the top of each sheet. Lightly brush water onto the uncolored vanilla dough with a pastry brush. Flip the colored dough on top of the vanilla dough so they’re stacked evenly.
- Seal and Trim Edges: Press gently along the edges with your fingertips to seal. Use a small knife to trim edges to create straight, even lines.
- Roll Dough Log: Ensure the dough is cold but flexible. Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a swirl, jelly-roll style, forming a log.
- Coat with Sprinkles and Chill: Pour holiday sprinkles onto a large platter. Gently roll the dough log in the sprinkles to coat the outside. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for several hours or freeze for up to three months.
- Slice and Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Slice the dough log into 1/4 inch thick slices and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until edges begin to turn golden brown.
- Cool Cookies: Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes after baking, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- Make sure the dough remains cold but pliable when rolling it into the swirl to prevent cracking.
- You can substitute different extract flavors to complement your choice of food coloring for unique variations.
- Chilling the dough before slicing is essential to maintain shape and make slicing easier.
- These cookies can be frozen at the dough stage for up to three months for make-ahead convenience.
- Be careful not to overbake; cookies should be just turning golden around the edges.
