Soft pastel swirl cookies (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 -
½ teaspoon salt
02 -
1 teaspoon baking soda
03 -
2½ cups plain flour
→ Wet Ingredients
04 -
¾ cup packed brown sugar
05 -
¾ cup white sugar
06 -
1 cup softened unsalted butter
07 -
2 teaspoons of vanilla
08 -
2 eggs, large
→ Coloring and Mix-Ins
09 -
Food coloring gels in pastel shades (blue, pink, yellow, and purple)
10 -
2 cups chocolate chips—1½ cups for dough, ½ cup for topping
# Instructions:
01 -
Turn your oven on and heat it to 350°F (175°C). Cover baking trays with parchment or use non-stick liners for easier cleanup.
02 -
Mix together the flour, a pinch of salt, and the baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Put this bowl aside when you're done.
03 -
Grab a larger mixing bowl and whip the butter along with both sugars using an electric mixer. Keep mixing until it feels fluffy and looks creamy—about 2-3 minutes.
04 -
Break the eggs into the butter mixture, one at a time. Beat after each egg until smooth. Stir in the vanilla until everything's evenly mixed.
05 -
Add the dry stuff into the wet bit by bit. Keep the mixer on low and stop as soon as it's mixed—don’t overdo it!
06 -
Stir about 1½ cups of the chocolate chips into your dough by hand. Save the other half cup for topping the cookies later.
07 -
Separate the dough into four even parts. Use a dollop of food coloring in each batch: pink, yellow, blue, and purple. Mix lightly until the dough’s covered in color.
08 -
Take small chunks of each colored dough and lightly press them together. Don’t overmix—just enough to get a swirled effect. Shape into balls about 2 tablespoons in size.
09 -
Put the colorful dough balls on the lined trays, leaving about 2 inches between them. Gently press some leftover chocolate chips onto each one.
10 -
Pop the cookies into the heated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Pull them out when the edges look set, though the middles might still look soft—that's OK!
11 -
Leave the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the trays, then carefully move them to wire racks to cool fully.
12 -
Treat yourself to these colorful treats with some milk! Seal any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.
# Notes:
01 -
To get the best swirled colors, gently combine the differently colored doughs without blending too much.
02 -
White chocolate chips make a great swap for regular chocolate chips. They look fantastic with the soft pastel shades.
03 -
If the dough starts feeling too sticky, try sticking it in the fridge for 20 minutes. Chilled dough spreads less when baking.
04 -
When you take the cookies out and they seem a bit soft, that’s perfect! They’ll firm up a little more as they cool but stay moist inside.