Christmas Swirl Cookies Dee Dees Recipes

CINNAMON ROLL COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookie dough: Cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and continue to mix until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and nutmeg until well combined. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture slowly until incorporated and the dough has come together. Cover and chill for 15 for 20 minutes.
• For the filling: Tip the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll out into a 16-by-8-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Pour over the melted butter and, using your hands, spread the butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and then the granulated sugar. Starting with the long edge, carefully roll the dough tightly, just as you would with cinnamon rolls, and pinch the seam together when you reach the end. Cut the log in half. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap, put on a baking sheet and chill until firm, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Unwrap the cookie dough and transfer to a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut the logs into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets and bake until set and the edges begin to brown slightly, 12 to 13 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool.
• For the glaze: Meanwhile, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, milk and melted butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add the maple extract and taste. Add more confectioners' sugar or butter as needed; the glaze should be thick but still pourable. Drizzle the glaze back and forth over the cookies and allow to set before serving, 10 to 12 minutes.

WHIMSICAL SWIRL COOKIES - DEE DEE'S

Steps:

• 1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugars and whisk until well blended. Place in large mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
• 2. Add butter in, gradually, and continue mixing. Add in vanilla extract. At this point, your dough will form a ball on your paddle. NOTE: I did find it necessary to add more flour at this point.
• 3. Remove all your dough and divide into two equal parts. Return one portion back in to the mixer and add the food coloring and any extra extracts. I used Wilton gel food coloring in pink and vanilla extract for this batch. You can coordinate your colors and flavors, for example green food coloring matched with a mint extract or yellow with a lemon extract, etc. Also, if you are using liquid food coloring, you will need to add a few tbsp. of flour to keep the dough from becoming too wet. Mix until the color is spread out evenly.
• 4. Roll out each portion of your dough, between two sheets a wax paper until is reaches about 11 x 9 inches and is 1/4 inch thick. Slide both unto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. NOTE: I found that the dough became very firm in about 30 minutes.
• 5. When firm, remove the top sheets of wax paper from both. Brush the uncolored vanilla dough lightly with water using a pastry brush. Then flip the colored dough onto the vanilla uncolored dough so they are stacked atop each other and even. Press the edges lightly with your fingertips to seal them together. Using a small paring knife; trim the edges of the dough to make straight, even lines.
• 6. Pour out sprinkles onto a large platter and set aside. Be sure your dough is still cold, but flexible. Once it's ready, begin rolling the long side of dough into a swirl, jelly-roll style. Now, don't get nervous if the outer layer of uncolored dough tears a bit. It's no problem, just pinch and pat those tears and voila, then just keep rolling. NOTE: the outter layer did tear and I pinched it back together as instructed. Cookies turned out beautiful!
• 7. Now gently lift your dough log onto the sprinkles and roll away. Cover the log completely with your sprinkles. Wrap the colorfully decorated log in plastic wrap twice. Depending on when you want to bake the cookies, either place the wrapped dough into refrigerator for about 3-4 hours or you can put it the freezer and keep it there for up to 2 months. (If freezing, give yourself time for the dough to defrost in the fridge overnight before cutting.)
• 8. Slice your dough into 1/4-1/8 inch slices and bake on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes until edges are slightly golden. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, and then move them to a cookie rack to finish cooling. Enjoy your whimsical cookies!

CHRISTMAS SWIRL COOKIES - DEE DEE'S

Steps:

• 1. In a batter bowl or a bowl of your liking, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
• 2. In a large mixer bowl using paddle; cream the butter until it's smooth; stir in the sugars and vanilla extract until they're evenly blended.
• 3. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture one third at a time, mixing well after each addition, until the dough is evenly blended.
• 4. Divide cookie dough in to 4 equal pieces. Take 2 pieces and incorporate the food coloring of choice into each piece or add cocoa to one or both pieces. Don't add both! NOTE: I will be making 1 green and 1 red piece to go with the 2 vanilla pieces.
• 5. Place each quarter piece on a large piece of plastic wrap, pat it into a 1/2-inch-thick square, and then wrap it in the plastic. Refrigerate the 4 squares until firm, about 1 to 2 hours.
• 6. Unwrap one piece of the chilled vanilla dough, leaving it on the plastic. Cover it with a second piece of plastic wrap, then roll it into a rectangle measuring about 9 by 7 inches. If the dough gets too soft and difficult to roll, slide it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate it until it's firm again, about 5 to 10 minutes. Unwrap a piece of the colored dough, cover it with another piece of plastic, and roll it into an 8- by 7-inch rectangle.
• 7. Remove the top piece of plastic wrap from both rolled doughs and invert the colored dough on top of the vanilla dough, lining up 3 sides and leaving about 1 inch of vanilla dough exposed on one side. Starting at the opposite side, lift the vanilla dough by the plastic wrap underneath it and snugly roll up both layers into a log, peeling away the plastic wrap as you go. Gently roll in sprinkles coating log. Wrap the log in the plastic and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. Repeat the process with the 2 other pieces of dough.
• 8. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap one of the logs and slice it into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Arrange the slices on the parchment about 1 inch apart and bake for about 13 minutes. The cookies will still be a little soft to the touch. NOTE: They will have a better texture if you don't allow the edges brown.
• 9. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet; transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.