Watermelon Cookies

Total Time

Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling

Makes

3 dozen

Updated: Oct. 20, 2022
--Ruth Witmer, Stevens, Pennsylvania
Watermelon Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • Red and green food coloring
  • Miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  • Sesame seeds, optional

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
  2. Remove 1 cup of dough; set aside. Add enough red food coloring to tint remaining dough deep red. Roll into a 3-1/2-in.-long log; wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
  3. Divide the 1 cup of reserved dough into two pieces. To one piece, add enough green food coloring to tint dough deep green. Leave remaining dough plain. Wrap each piece separately in plastic; chill until firm, about 1 hour.
  4. On a floured sheet of waxed paper, roll white dough into a 8-1/2x3-1/2-in. rectangle. Place red dough along short end of rectangle. Roll up and encircle red dough with white dough; set aside.
  5. On floured waxed paper, roll the green dough into a 10x3-1/2-in. rectangle. Place log of red/white dough along the short end of green dough. Roll up and encircle log with green dough. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
  6. Unwrap dough and cut into 1/8-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Lightly press miniature chocolate chips into each slice to resemble watermelon seeds; if desired, add sesame seeds.
  7. Bake at 375° for 6-8 minutes or until cookies are firm but not brown. While still warm, cut each cookie in half or into pie-shaped wedges. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 81 calories, 4g fat (2g saturated fat), 15mg cholesterol, 52mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.