The 80 Best Christmas Cookies to Make This Holiday Season (All Cookie Swap and Santa Approved)
Chewy Tri-Color Sugar Cookies
•
Published Dec 8, 2021
•
Print Recipe
Katherine Gillen
You know those tri-color cookies that line the cases of Italian bakeries and are always the star of the holiday cookie swap? Well, we used our berries and cream cookie recipe as a rubric to create a crackly, chewy sugar cookie version of the layered classic. They’re flavored with matcha, freeze-dried raspberries and almond extract (an ode to the originals), but you could customize your batch with any combination of ingredients (like cocoa powder, sesame paste or another freeze-dried fruit).
Look who’s winning the cookie swap now. (It’s you.)
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (226g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
1 large (50g) egg
1 large (14g) egg yolk
½ cup (8g) freeze-dried raspberries
2 tablespoons matcha powder (unsweetened)
½ teaspoon almond extract
Melted chocolate, to garnish (optional)
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda to combine.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk, and mix to combine. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. (Try to not overmix the dough or the cookies will be tough.)
3. In in a food processor or high-speed blender, pulse the freeze-dried berries into a fine powder.
4. Divide the dough in thirds, keeping one third in the mixer bowl and transferring the other two to separate bowls; set aside. To the stand mixer bowl, add the berry powder and mix on medium speed until just combined. Remove the berry dough; wipe out the mixer bowl and repeat with another third of dough and the matcha powder. Wipe out the bowl a final time and repeat with the remaining dough and almond extract.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. To form the cookies, pinch off a small piece (about a tablespoon) of each dough and lightly press them together, then roll the dough into a ball. Arrange the dough balls between the baking sheets (about 8 per sheet).
7. Bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time, until they are puffed and set but not golden on the edges, 9 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with the melted chocolate (if using). The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
Nutrition Facts
186 calories
8g fat
27g carbs
2g protein
15g sugars
Powered By
Note: The information shown is Edamam's estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
