Peppermint Swirl Sugar Cookies

     Sugar cookies are a Christmas staple. Anywhere you go and any cookie platter I see there is at least one type of sugar cookie. They also happen to be my husband's absolute favorite type of cookie. If you know me this drives me bonkers. I happen to be a very extra person so when I ask my husband what kind of Christmas cookie I should make and he says sugar cookie, it kills me a little to put my linzer cookie and krumkake recipes and make the plain old sugar cookies. However, this year I decided to compromise and put a little spin on my sugar cookies. With a little bit of peppermint extract and a twist, I can make a cookie that is extra enough to make me happy but is still one of my husbands basic favorites.

    To make these cookies, I start by mixing together my butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and a little bit of peppermint extract. once that is smooth, I add my egging mix again. Then, I add in my flour, baking powder, and baking soda and mix it until my dough forms. After taking half of my dough out of the bowl, I the the remaining half red (or usually pink because I'm a chicken when it comes to food coloring) and mix it again until the color is spread evenly. 

    To shape my cookies I roll each color into a log and cut the logs into quarters lengthwise. I then reassemble the logs, mixing the colors, so that the color is every other. If your logs are feeling a little sticky you can wrap them in plastic wrap and stick them in the fridge to cool off a bit. Usually my house stays pretty cold however so I just use a very light dusting of powdered sugar to de-stickify everything. 

    Once my logs are ready, either powdered or chilled, I cut them into 2-inch sections. It's ok if they don't look pretty yet or the color sections aren't sticking, we'll solve those problems in a second. to make the signature swirl of these cookies I will take each section and place one flat end either on the table or the palm of my hand and use my other hand to gently smush and twist each one. Once you get the technique down this will create perfectly round cookies with a good swirl and no separation between the segments. I like to do it between my hands and swirl more than smush for the best results but you can do whatever works best for you. 

    When my dough is all swirled, I finish it off by popping it into the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 9-10 minutes or until they aren't jiggly. I make sure not to let these get brown around the edges and spread too much so you want to bake them just enough to hold shape. These cookies have to cool to room temperature before you eat them or else they will fall apart. I know, waiting is hard, but this makes them the best cookie for your Christmas cookie boxes or cookie jars because they stay gooey and light for longer than many others. 

    What did you think of this recipe? Use the comment section below!