Christmas Mint Ribbon Cookies

Hey Everyone! With Christmas Day almost here, Here is EL the Cook's recipe for some pretty looking mint ribbon swirl cookies that look gorgeous on your table and taste really good!

This recipe is a bit complicated but once its done its is one amazing cookie to serve in your Christmas bouquet of treats!

Here's what you'll need..  

INGREDIENTS:

These make about 6 dozen cookies ( Which surprisingly disappear quick!)

Vanilla Dough:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons mint extract
• 1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks), room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Chocolate Dough:

• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks) room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT:

• Rolling Pin and Board
• 2 large bowls
• Hand Held mixer
• Parchment paper
• Microwave oven/ Normal oven
• Whisk

METHOD:

A) PREP OF 2 TYPES OF DOUGH:

• For the vanilla dough: Mix the 2 sugars and the salt together in a medium bowl. In another small bowl, whisk the egg and mint extract and set aside. With a hand held mixer beat the butter until smooth in a large bowl. While mixing, gradually add the sugar mixture, and continue beating until lightly colored and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stop mixing and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg mixture and beat until smooth. Gradually add the flour, mixing slowly until blended.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl, divide in half. Place the halves between 2 pieces of lightly floured parchment or waxed paper. Roll into a  rectangle. Slide the sheets of dough/parchment sheets onto a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

• For the chocolate dough: Whisk the sugar, cocoa, salt in a medium bowl. With a hand held mixer beat the butter until smooth in a large bowl. While mixing, add the cocoa mixture, and continue beating until lightly colored and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stop mixing and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Gradually add the flour, mixing slowly until blended.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl, divide in half. Place the halves between 2 pieces of lightly floured parchment or waxed paper. Roll into a  rectangle of the same size a the vanilla dough. Slide the sheets of dough/parchment sheets onto a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

B) ASSEMBLY OF COOKIES

For a spiral cookie: 

• Put 1 of the chocolate doughs on the workspace and remove the top sheet of parchment. Brush dough lightly with cold water. Place a sheet of vanilla dough on the workspace, and remove top sheet of paper. Using the bottom piece of the paper to lift the dough, place the vanilla dough on top of the chocolate dough. Take care to line up the edges of the 2 doughs and trim as needed. Lightly press to smooth and seal the doughs together. Remove the top piece of paper. Brush the surface of the dough lightly with cold water. Position the sandwiched doughs with the long edge facing you. Using the edge of the paper as a guide, roll the doughs into a tight cylinder, 2 inches wide. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Repeat with remaining 2 sheets of dough.
• Evenly position racks in the oven, and preheat to 190 degrees C.
• Slice the dough crosswise into 1/4-inch thick cookies. Lay about 1/2-inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until just golden - not too dark you'll lose the definition of the spiral, about 14 to 16 minutes.

For a ribbon cookie:

• Roll and layer the two doughs into rectangles, and 1/4-inch thick in the same way as the Spiral Cookies. Put 1 of the chocolate doughs on the work space and remove the top sheet of parchment. Brush lightly with a little cold water. Place 1 of vanilla doughs on the work space. Remove top sheet of paper, and use the bottom piece of the paper to lift the dough onto the chocolate dough. Take care to lining up the edges of the dough. Lightly press to smooth and seal the doughs together. Remove the top parchment.
• Trim the edges on the layered doughs with a pizza cutter using a ruler or other straight edge as a guide. Working with the short edge facing you, cut the layered dough in half vertically. Set 1 piece on top of the other and then turn the dough, to have the long side facing you. Cut the dough in half again and set 1 piece on top of the other. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours before slicing.
• Trim any uneven edges with a sharp knife. Slice blocks into 1 cm thick rectangles and bake until the white dough is just beginning to brown, about 16 to 18 minutes.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!