Ingredients:
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large (50g) egg
- 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp (3g) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (1.5g) salt
- 1/2 tsp red gel food coloring
- 1/2 tsp royal blue gel food coloring
Instructions:
- Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until the mixture looks pale and velvety.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until fully incorporated.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low until a soft dough forms; do not overmix.
- Split the dough into three equal portions of approximately 1 cup each.
- Leave one portion white. Knead red gel coloring into the second portion and blue gel into the third until colors are uniform.
- Roll each colored dough into a smooth log approximately 8 inches long.
- Lay the red, white, and blue logs side-by-side and roll them together into a single log.
- Chill the log in the refrigerator for 2 hours (or 30 minutes via flash-freeze method) to stabilize the fats.
- Slice the chilled log into uniform cookies using a sharp chef's knife.
- Bake on parchment-lined sheets for 10 minutes until edges are crisp.