Holiday Swirled Sugar Cookies Recipe

This eye-catching Holiday Swirled Sugar Cookies Recipe uses a genius marble-dipping technique to create professional-looking treats without piping bags. Featuring a sturdy, buttery sugar cookie base that holds its shape, each round is dipped face-first into a swirl of red, green, and white royal icing for a glossy, tie-dye finish that is totally unique every time.

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Holiday Swirled Sugar Cookies Ingredients

The Sturdy Dough:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) Unsalted Butter: Room temperature, to cream properly.
• 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar: Keeps the cookies pale and crisp.
• 2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour: Spooned and leveled.
• 1 Large Egg & 1 tsp Vanilla Extract: The classic binders.
• Leavening: 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp fine salt.
• Confectioners’ Sugar: For dusting the surface (smoother than flour).

The Marble Icing:

• One 1-pound box Confectioners’ Sugar: The base for a hard-setting icing.
• 2 tablespoons Meringue Powder: Crucial for stability and a hard, glossy finish that doesn’t smudge.
• Red and Green Gel Food Coloring: Gel is best to keep the icing consistency thick.
• Water: About 7-8 tablespoons to thin.
• Edible Glitter/Sprinkles: For extra sparkle.

How To Make Holiday Swirled Sugar Cookies

1. Make the Dough: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar for 4 minutes until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat until smooth. Mix in the flour in two batches until just combined. Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
2. Roll and Cut: Dust your surface generously with confectioners’ sugar (not flour—this keeps them tender). Roll dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 2-inch cutter. Arrange on parchment-lined sheets. Freeze or refrigerate the cut cookies for 1 hour. Crucial Step: Cold dough ensures perfectly sharp edges that don’t spread.
3. Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the chilled cookies for 9 to 11 minutes until just lightly browned on the edges. Cool completely.
4. Whip the Icing: Beat the pound of confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 7 tablespoons of water on high speed until soft glossy peaks form. Add water drop by drop if needed; it should be thick but flow like lava.
5. Tint: Divide 1/4 cup of icing into two small bowls. Dye one red (9 drops) and one green (2 drops). Keep the remaining large batch white.
6. The Marble Dip: Pour the white icing onto a rimmed baking sheet, spreading it into a thin, even layer. Drizzle the red icing in zig-zags over the white. Drizzle the green over both. Do not stir!
7. Dip: One by one, place a cookie face-down into the icing. Lift it straight up, letting the excess drip off for a second. Quickly flip it right-side-up onto a cooling rack. The surface will be a beautiful, smooth swirl of colors.
8. Set: Decorate with glitter while wet. Let dry completely for 1 hour until hard to the touch.

Recipe Tips

• The “Face-Plant” Method: When dipping, commit! Drop the cookie flat onto the icing surface. If you wiggle it too much, the colors will muddy. A confident dip-and-lift yields the best marble pattern.
• Icing Consistency: This is the tricky part. If the icing is too thin, it will run off the cookie. If it’s too thick, it won’t smooth out. Test one cookie first; the icing should settle into a smooth surface within 10 seconds.
• Dusting with Sugar: Using powdered sugar instead of flour to roll out the dough prevents the cookies from becoming tough and adds a subtle sweetness to the crust.
• Meringue Powder: Don’t skip this. It is what allows the icing to dry hard so you can stack the cookies in a tin without them sticking together.

What To Serve With Swirled Sugar Cookies

• Sparkling Cider: The bubbles match the festive look.
• Hot Tea: A plain tea balances the sweet icing.
• Christmas Punch: A red cranberry punch echoes the swirl colors.
• Salty Nuts: A bowl of roasted nuts on the table cuts the sugar.

How To Store Holiday Swirled Cookies

• Room Temperature: Once the icing is rock hard (give it a few hours), store in an airtight container layered with wax paper for up to 1 week.
• Freeze: You can freeze the baked, undecorated cookies for 2 months. It is not recommended to freeze them after icing, as the colors may bleed upon thawing.

Holiday Swirled Sugar Cookies Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 180 kcal
• Fat: 8g
• Carbohydrates: 26g
• Sugar: 18g
• Protein: 2g

Nutrition information is estimated per cookie.

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