Ingredients
Scale
Here’s everything you’ll need to make these delicious Mini Marbled Christmas Tree Cookies:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour: The base of your cookie dough, providing structure and a soft texture.
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder: Helps the dough rise slightly for that perfect chewy texture.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt: Balances out the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened): This gives your cookies that rich, buttery flavor.
- 1 cup granulated sugar: For sweetness and structure.
- 1 large egg: Binds the dough together and adds richness.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract: Adds warmth and depth to the flavor.
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract: Gives the cookies that classic almond flavor that pairs beautifully with the buttery dough.
- Food coloring: Red and green (or any colors you prefer) for the marbling effect.
- Sprinkles (optional): For decoration and extra festive flair.
Instructions
- Prepare Your Ingredients:
Start by gathering all your ingredients. Measure out the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set them aside. You’ll want everything ready to go before you start mixing! - Cream Butter and Sugar:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This will take about 3-4 minutes with an electric mixer, or a little longer if you’re doing it by hand. The goal is to get the butter and sugar to a creamy consistency, which helps the cookies turn out tender. - Add the Wet Ingredients:
Once the butter and sugar are creamed, add in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat the mixture until everything is well combined. You should have a smooth, slightly airy batter. - Mix Dry Ingredients:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overwork the dough—overmixing can result in tougher cookies. - Divide the Dough:
Now comes the fun part—dividing the dough into sections. Depending on how many colors you want, divide the dough into 3 or 4 portions. For this recipe, I recommend dividing it into 3 portions for a classic red, green, and white marbled effect. - Color the Dough:
Add a few drops of food coloring to each portion of dough. Start with a small amount of food coloring and mix it in with your hands or a spatula. Add more until you achieve the desired intensity of color. Don’t worry if the colors aren’t perfectly even—it adds to the marbled effect! - Chill the Dough:
Wrap each colored portion of dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes to an hour. This makes the dough easier to work with when you roll it out. - Roll and Shape the Dough:
Once chilled, it’s time to roll out the dough! On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough color into small, bite-sized balls (about the size of a marble). Then, flatten each ball slightly with your hands or a rolling pin. - Marble the Dough:
Take a small piece of each color of dough and stack them on top of each other. Gently roll them together into a log, then twist it a few times to create the marbled effect. Don’t overdo it—you want to keep the swirls visible, not blend the colors together too much. - Cut Into Trees:
Using a small Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter, cut out mini Christmas tree shapes from the marbled dough. If you don’t have a tree-shaped cutter, you can use any fun holiday shapes you have on hand. - Bake the Cookies:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cookies on the sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. Keep an eye on them as they bake—these cookies are small, so they cook quickly. - Cool and Decorate:
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, you can decorate them with festive sprinkles or even add tiny edible decorations like little sugar pearls to make them extra special.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 120
- Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Protein: 1g