Description
Magical Spiral Cookies are delightful, visually striking swirl cookies made with a tender buttery dough tinted with vibrant colors and adorned with festive sprinkles. This recipe combines classic flavors of vanilla and almond extract with colorful purple and black doughs to create an eye-catching treat perfect for festive occasions and sharing with loved ones.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
Coloring and Decoration
- Purple gel food coloring
- Black gel food coloring
- Purple sprinkles
- ½ cup black or chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare the Butter and Sugar: Beat the room temperature butter and powdered sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. This process creates a smooth base for the dough and helps incorporate air for a tender cookie texture.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Incorporate the eggs and milk into the creamed butter and sugar, mixing until the batter is smooth and homogeneous to ensure even distribution of moisture and richness.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the wet mixture. Mix gently until the dough forms, taking care not to overwork it to maintain tenderness.
- Divide and Color the Dough: Separate the dough in half; tint one half with purple gel food coloring. Divide the other half further into two portions and tint one black and leave the other plain white. This creates the base for the spiral pattern.
- Roll Black Dough: Roll the black dough into a 6×12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. This creates the first layer for the spiral.
- Layer White Dough: Roll the white dough into the same 6×12-inch size and gently place it over the black layer. Roll lightly over the combined layers to help them adhere evenly without mixing colors.
- Roll Purple Dough and Add Sprinkles: Roll out the purple dough to 6×12 inches as well, sprinkle evenly with purple sprinkles, then roll the dough into a log shape. The sprinkles add texture and a festive sparkle.
- Assemble and Chill the Logs: Carefully layer or combine the logs as desired to form the spiral pattern, then chill the dough logs to firm up for easier slicing (typically 1-2 hours in the refrigerator).
- Slice and Bake: Once chilled, slice the dough logs into ¼-inch thick cookies and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. Serve and enjoy the magical appearance and delicious flavor.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened to room temperature for easier mixing and better texture.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without adding too much liquid.
- Chilling the dough logs is crucial for clean slices and defined spirals.
- Adjust sprinkle quantity to your preference for sweetness and texture.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: spiral cookies, swirl cookies, colorful cookies, festive cookies, buttery cookies, vanilla almond cookies
