Description
Magical Spiral Cookies are beautifully swirled, buttery shortbread cookies featuring vibrant purple, black, and white colors. Perfectly tender and subtly flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, these eye-catching spiral cookies are topped with sprinkles for a festive touch, making them a delightful treat for any celebration or afternoon tea.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie 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 Batter: Beat the room temperature unsalted butter and powdered sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, ensuring a creamy base for the dough. Then add eggs and milk, mixing until completely smooth and well combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients and Flavorings: Incorporate all-purpose flour, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the butter mixture. Mix thoroughly to form a cohesive dough that’s neither too sticky nor too dry.
- Divide and Color the Dough: Split the dough into three portions. Tint one half of the dough purple using purple gel food coloring. Divide the remaining half into two portions, coloring one black and leaving one white to create the signature spiral effect.
- Roll Black Dough: Roll the black-colored dough into a rectangle measuring approximately 6 by 12 inches. Ensure the thickness is even to allow proper layering.
- Layer with White Dough: Roll out the white dough to the same size as the black rectangle, then gently place it on top of the black dough. Lightly roll over the stacked layers to adhere them evenly without mixing the colors.
- Roll Purple Dough with Sprinkles: Roll the purple dough to the same 6×12-inch size. Spread purple sprinkles evenly across its surface. Then, carefully roll the purple dough into a log shape, sealing the sprinkles inside the dough.
- Assemble the Final Spiral: Using the prepared layers of dough, form the large spiral log by carefully rolling the black and white layered dough together with the purple log to create the magical spiral cookie effect. Chill the log before slicing and baking to maintain shape (recommend chilling for at least 1 hour).
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Slice the chilled dough log into ¼-inch thick rounds and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges start to turn lightly golden.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy these visually stunning and delicious magical spiral cookies with tea or coffee.
Notes
- Chilling the dough log before slicing helps maintain the distinct spiral shape during baking.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant hues without altering dough consistency.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- For an extra burst of flavor, sprinkle some fine sanding sugar on top before baking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: spiral cookies, colorful cookies, festive cookies, butter cookies, vanilla almond cookies, holiday treats, decorative cookies
