Swirled Mint Cookies

Total Time

Prep: 40 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch

Makes

4 dozen

Updated: Feb. 10, 2022
No one will believe that these rich and buttery cookies are light, but they are! With their colorful swirls, each one of these minty, sugary bites has its own look. —Lois Hill, Thomasville, North Carolina
Swirled Mint Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup reduced-fat butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 10 to 20 drops red food coloring
  • 10 to 20 drops green food coloring

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, cream butters and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
  2. Divide dough into thirds. Stir red food coloring into 1 portion of dough; stir green food coloring into another portion. Leave remaining dough plain. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  3. Divide each portion of dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-in. rope. Place a red, a green and a plain rope next to each other. Cut through all 3 ropes at 1-in. intervals, forming sets of 3 differently colored doughs. Repeat.
  4. Roll each set of doughs into a ball; place balls 3 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten to 1/8-in. thickness with a glass dipped in remaining sugar. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 59 calories, 3g fat (2g saturated fat), 13mg cholesterol, 49mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein. Diabetic exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.