Italian Champagne Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar

• 1 tsp. almond extract

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 tsp. salt

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• Red and green food coloring

• Cooking spray

• 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Using a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners sugar and beat on low until fluffy, about 2 more minutes. Add salt, vanilla extract and almond extract and beat until combined. Add half of the flour and mix until combined, then add remaining flour and mix until combined.

Using a scale, weigh the dough, then divide into three portions of equal weight. (If you don’t have a scale, then just divide into three pieces roughly the same size.) Transfer one portion of dough to the mixer and with the motor running, add a few drops of red food dye. Add a few more additional drops until it reaches your preferred color. (I prefer a pinkish hue to a deep red, but adjust to your preference.)

Gather dough into a ball and transfer to a clean work surface. Gently wipe down mixer bowl with a clean kitchen towel and repeat the process with the second portion of dough, this time using the desired amount of green food dye, then gather into a ball and transfer to a clean work surface. Leave one portion of dough without dye and gather into a ball and transfer to a clean work surface.

Roll each ball of dough into a rope, approximately 24 inches long. The dough will have the consistency of play dough and may break a bit, so do your best to gently roll it, patching it back together as needed.

Press the three ropes of dough together and roll gently to form a log, about 24 inches long. Cut log in half.

Pour all of the sprinkles onto a baking sheet and spread out to the length of each of the two logs of dough. Spray the first log of dough with cooking spray, then roll into the sprinkles doing your best to make sure all of the log is covered in sprinkles. Repeat with the second log of dough.

Slice 1/2-inch cookies from each of the logs and transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, making sure to leave a little space between each cookie.

Bake until bottom of cookies are just golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.