Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, (or 2 sticks) room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3-4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Food coloring (gel works best)
Nonpareils sprinkles
Instructions
In the bowl of your electric mixer or a hand mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Beat until combined. Add the salt and about 3 cups of flour. Beat until you have a smooth dough. If the dough is still sticky and sticks to your fingers when you touch it, keep adding more flour, one tablespoon at a time until it comes together. Divide the dough in half, add food coloring to one half and keep mixing in the stand mixer until you reach your desired color. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about an hour.
Put the colored cookie dough on parchment paper and roll the dough to a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Set it aside. Do the same with the plain dough. Stack the cookie dough sheets on top of one another with the parchment on the outside. Remove the top parchment and use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough so the two doughs will stick together. Roll the cookie dough into a log, starting from one end and remove the parchment paper as you go. Refrigerate a bit longer if the dough is too soft to work with before trying again. Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
Pour sprinkles into a cookie sheet, unwrap the log and roll in the sprinkles. Rewrap and refrigerate for another 3 hours to overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F.
Slice the dough to about a ¼ inch thick cookies and bake for about 9-11 minutes or until the edges are just starting to brown. Let the cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Written By: Neta Bodrug
