EASY SLICE AND BAKE CHRISTMAS COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour, plus possibly a few more tablespoons

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup unsifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (cut in chunks)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp of food coloring of your choice (and/or 1/2 tsp of any desired extra extracts)

1 1/2 cup holiday sprinkles

INSTRUCTIONS

1 – In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugars with paddle on medium until well blended. Add butter in, gradually, and continue mixing. Add in vanilla extract.

2 – Continue mixing until the dough forms a ball.

3 – Remove all your dough and divide into two equal parts.

4 – Return one portion back in to the mixer and add the food coloring and any extra extracts. You can at this point add a different extract flavor to the colored cookie dough. Mint or almond flavoring works lovely.

5 – Mix until the color is spread out evenly.

6 – Roll out each portion of your dough, between two sheets a wax paper until it reaches about 11 x 9 inches and is 1/4 inch thick.

7 – Slide both onto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

8 – 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.

9 – Press the edges lightly with your fingertips to seal them together. Using a small knife, trim the edges of the dough to make straight, even lines.

10 – 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.

11 – Pour out sprinkles onto a large platter and set aside. Now gently lift your dough log onto the sprinkles and roll away covering the entire log in the sprinkles.