Marbled Christmas Sugar Cookies (Printer-Friendly)

Soft, chewy sugar cookies featuring a festive red and green marbled appearance.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter, softened

→ Sugars

02 - ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
03 - 2 tablespoons (25 g) brown sugar, packed
04 - ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar, for rolling

→ Egg

05 - 1 large egg white

→ Extracts

06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 1 ⅓ cups (167 g) all-purpose flour
08 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
09 - ¼ teaspoon baking powder
10 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Coloring

11 - ⅛ teaspoon red gel food coloring (Wilton’s Red-Red recommended)
12 - ⅛ teaspoon green gel food coloring (Wilton’s Moss Green recommended)

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
02 - In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter with granulated and brown sugars until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
03 - Add the egg white and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and continue mixing for 30 seconds until fully incorporated.
04 - Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this to the wet ingredients, mixing just until the flour disappears and a soft dough forms.
05 - Divide the dough evenly into three portions. Leave one plain, tint one with red gel food coloring, and one with green gel food coloring. Mix each color until uniformly distributed.
06 - Scoop one teaspoon from each colored dough bowl. Either gently press the three pieces together and roll into balls for a simple marbled pattern or split each teaspoon in half and randomly layer to create a more intricate design, then roll gently into balls.
07 - Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheet. Roll each lightly in the granulated sugar reserved for rolling. Bake in the preheated oven for 7 minutes.
08 - Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Helpful Hints:

01 - Use gel food coloring to maintain dough texture and vibrant colors without moisture addition.
02 - Avoid overmixing dough to ensure the cookies remain soft and chewy.
03 - Bake for exactly 7 minutes to prevent dry or hard cookies.
04 - Wear gloves or wash hands between coloring steps to avoid color contamination.
05 - Cookie dough can be frozen on a baking sheet, then stored in airtight containers for up to 3 months.

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