Description
Celebrate the 4th of July with these festive marbled cookies featuring red, white, and blue swirls. Soft, buttery, and topped with patriotic sprinkles, these cookies are perfect for summer parties and holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Color and Decoration
- Red gel food coloring
- Blue gel food coloring
- Red, white, and blue sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it is hot and ready for baking your cookies evenly.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes fluffy and light in color, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the butter and sugar mixture, mixing well after each addition. Then stir in the pure vanilla extract to add flavor.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder to evenly distribute the leavening agent.
- Mix dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
- Divide and color dough: Split the dough into three equal portions. Add red gel food coloring to one portion, blue gel food coloring to another, and leave the third plain.
- Create marbled effect: Gently swirl the red, blue, and plain dough portions together by folding them lightly to form a marbled pattern without fully blending the colors.
- Shape and decorate: Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of the marbled dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the tops with red, white, and blue sprinkles for a patriotic touch.
- Bake the cookies: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges turn golden brown but the centers remain soft.
- Cool and serve: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring to avoid changing dough consistency.
- Do not overmix the dough to ensure cookies remain tender and soft.
- For best results, chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking to prevent spreading.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- These cookies freeze well, both before and after baking.
