Peppermint Swirls

Nana Lee's Note:

Another cookie for your holiday cookie tray. As a bonus, this recipe can be refrigerated for up to a week. By leaving out the last 3 ingredients you could "morph" this recipe to other flavored and/or shape cookies. The cooking time is per baking sheet-ful.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 10 dozen

• 1 cup butter (softened)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 4 -5 drops red food coloring
• ¼ cup pink sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine margarine, sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy.
2. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix well.
4. Place half of dough into a plastic bag or wrap in plastic.
5. To remaining half of dough, add peppermint extract and red food color; mix well.
6. Place in plastic bag or wrap and refrigerate both portions about 1 hour.
7. Divide each portion of dough in half.
8. Roll 1 part white dough into a 10x8-inch rectangle between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Set aside.
9. Repeat with 1 part pink dough.
10. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap from both the pink and the white dough.
11. Place pink dough over white dough; remove plastic wrap from pink dough. Trim edges, if desired.
12. Starting at the 10-inch edge, roll up dough jelly-roll fashion, removing plastic wrap from bottom as dough is rolled.
13. Repeat with remaining dough to form second roll.
14. Place 2 tablespoons of the pink sugar on separate sheet of plastic wrap.
15. Roll 1 roll of dough in pink sugar, pressing gently into dough.
16. Repeat with second roll.
17. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 8 hours or up to 1 week.
18. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
19. Slice cookies 1/8 inch thick and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
20. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until light golden brown.
21. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.
22. Makes about 10 dozen cookies.