12 Days of Cookies (Day 11)

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Tri-colour mint cookies (TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

THIS tri-colour mint cookie from Edna Mroz will liven up any cookie tray.

Tri-colour mint cookies

500 ml (2 cups) all-purpose flour

2 ml (1/2 tsp) baking powder

228 g (1 cup or 250 ml) butter or margarine

250 ml (1 cup) granulated sugar

1 egg

2 ml (1/2 tsp) peppermint extract

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla

10 drops each of green and red food colouring

In small bowl, combine flour and baking powder, In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and egg until fluffy. Add peppermint and vanilla. Divide dough into three equal pieces. Colour one red, one green and leave the last plain. Chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F). Divide each colour of dough into 4 equal parts, and roll each part into a rope about 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) diameter. Put one each of the red, green and white ropes together and form into a twist. Slice off 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) slices and roll gently into a ball. (Roll as little as possible to keep colours distinct.) Place balls on ungreased cookie sheets with room to spread. Dip bottom of a glass in sugar and flatten each ball to 3 to 6 mm (1/8-ü inch) thick. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned on bottom.

Tester's notes: I was worried at first because my twists were a little lumpy and uneven, but everything worked out once the cookies were rolled and then flattened into patterns. Coating the glass with sugar adds a subtle sparkle to the cookie tops. Edna bakes these minty, buttery cookies at a slightly lower temperature, like shortbread.

For our annual 12 Days of Cookies, we'll publish a recipe every day to get you started on your holiday baking. To see last year's recipes, and this year's collection, go to wfp.to/cookies

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 14, 2012 D5