Swirl Cookies

Pink or blue?

Cloth or disposable?

Nurse or bottle feed?

Crib or bassinet? 

Natural birth or assisted birth?

These are just a few of the questions that have been swirling through my head for the past 12 weeks.  (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you might want to check out Monday's post.)  Thankfully Mike and I are on the same page for the decisions we've made so far.  I know these few questions are just the beginning.  Now that our news is out in the open, more questions pop up as our friends and family bring up their thoughts, opinions, and stories.  What is some of your best advice for a first time mom?

The first time I made these cookies was for a Christmas cookie swap.  I dyed half the dough red and left the other white.  The taste was fantastic, but I wasn't impressed with the swirls.  The directions I used didn't really tell how thick to roll out the dough and I went too thick.  As delicious as the cookies were, I knew I had to give them a second chance.

I decided to use these cookies to make our baby announcement to my co-workers and my youth group girls.  For work, I put the cookies in a container with a note that said "Guess what?"  The announcement was a huge success and my co-workers got the point quickly.  My youth group girls didn't catch on so quickly, actually, they didn't catch on at all.  I guess that's what I get for bringing treats so often...they just thought it was another snack.  Oh well...at least they loved the cookies!

Swirl Cookies

Makes approximately 3 dozen 1-1/2" cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon gel food coloring


1.  In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder.  

2.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.

3.  Add the egg, vanilla, and milk and beat until incorporated.

4.  Gradually add the dry mixture, beating until completely combined.

5.  Remove half the mixture from the bowl.  If you want to be precise, weigh the dough to ensure that each half is the same.  (I did the second time!)

6.  Add the food coloring to each half of dough, if desired.  You can also dye one half and leave the other plain.  

7.  On a sheet of waxed paper, roll out one ball of dough to form a large rectangle, about 1/8" thick.  (If the dough is too sticky to roll, refrigerate it for 30 minutes first.)

8.  Roll out the other half of the dough to a rectangle the same size as the first.

9.  Carefully slide the one of the dough rectangles on top of the other.  Trim to even edges if necessary.

10.  Roll the dough lengthwise into a log.  

11.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

12.  Unwrap the dough and slice it into 1/2" thick slices.  Place 1" apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  

13.  Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes, until the center of the cookie is set.

Store cookies in an airtight container.   

Source:  My Shine Project