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Holiday Swirl Shortbread Cookies

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By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Jul 22, 2024
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Get ahead of the holidays with this make-ahead recipe that’s easy enough for a novice baker! It all starts with the tried-and-true shortbread formula: sugar, butter and flour. These three basic ingredients—plus a dash of vanilla—are all that’s needed to make a dough that bakes up into almost inexplicably buttery and tender cookies, so they’ve got substance, as well as style. Their swirled look is the result of a little bit of food color and Betty’s clever technique. Dough gets divided into three parts, dyed and recombined. A little bit of gentle kneading is all it takes to add the holly-jolly swirled effect!

Holiday Swirl Shortbread Cookies

  • Prep Time 30 min
  • Total 2 hr 55 min
  • Servings 24
  • Ingredients 7
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Betty Crocker™ green gel food color
  • 1/2 teaspoon Betty Crocker™ red gel food color
  • 2 tablespoons coarse sparkling white sugar
Make With
Gold Medal Flour

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    In large bowl, beat softened butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the vanilla with spoon until well mixed. Stir in flour until blended. Knead 5 to 10 times or until dough is smooth.
  • Step 
    2
    Divide dough into 3 pieces. Place 2 pieces of dough into 2 small bowls. To one bowl, add green food color; stir or knead to mix color thoroughly into dough. Repeat with red food color and second piece of dough.
  • Step 
    3
    Cut each of the 3 doughs in half. Take one half of each of the doughs, and press together into a ball. Gently knead to mix colors (don’t overwork dough or it will lose marbling). Shape into a roll, 6 inches long by 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Spread 1 tablespoon sparkling sugar on plastic wrap; roll log to cover. Wrap dough log tightly with plastic wrap. Repeat forming, shaping and rolling with remaining dough pieces. Refrigerate about 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm.
  • Step 
    4
    Heat oven to 350°F. Unwrap 1 of the dough logs; cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet, reshaping if necessary.
  • Step 
    5
    Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Unwrap remaining dough log, and repeat slicing and baking. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store covered in airtight container.

Nutrition

130 Calories
8g Total Fat
1g Protein
13g Total Carbohydrate
5g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cookie
Calories
130
Calories from Fat
70
Total Fat
8g
12%
Saturated Fat
5g
24%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
20mg
7%
Sodium
60mg
3%
Potassium
15mg
0%
Total Carbohydrate
13g
4%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
5g
Protein
1g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
4%
4%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
0%
0%
Iron
2%
2%
Exchanges:
1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 1/2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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