![Melt-Away Peppermint Wreaths](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.southernliving.com/thmb/ak6RtX_1KifsxzNgXnc2nU3s3aQ=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/southern-living-27087_MELTAWAY_PEPPERMINT_WREATHS_008_preview-4bfeaebea6394e30acbe166126035d3a.jpg)
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Peppermint is a flavor that makes anything, hot cocoa, coffee, cakes, you name it, feel festive. Added to a classic meltaway cookie, it makes the soft and buttery cookies taste like the holidays. With the help of red and green food coloring, and some clever shaping, these peppermint wreath cookies not only taste like Christmas, but look the part, too.
These cookies are one of our classic recipes that we’ve brought back—they were actually the cover star of our 1985 December issue. One reason we love this vintage recipe is that you don’t need a special cookie cutter, or cookie press to create the beautiful wreath shapes. Simply roll the dough into small balls and press six together, alternating colors, to form the bi-colored wreath. You can even enlist your favorite little kitchen helpers to assist with the rolling and assembly—the shaping process is just like playing with Playdoh, but this dough is actually edible.
Ingredients
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1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
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3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
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2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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1/4 tsp. kosher salt
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3/4 tsp. peppermint extract
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Red and green liquid or gel food coloring
Directions
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Preheat oven to 375°F with racks in top and bottom positions. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Beat butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually add flour and salt, and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Stir in peppermint extract. Divide dough in half; place in separate bowls. Stir red food coloring into 1 dough half until desired shade is reached; stir green food coloring into remaining dough half until desired shade is reached.
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Divide and shape dough into 1/2-teaspoon balls. Alternating colors, arrange 6 balls in a circle on prepared baking sheet, slightly touching. Press balls to flatten slightly so they stick together and form a wreath shape. Repeat process with remaining dough balls to make about 28 wreath cookies total, spacing them about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
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Bake in preheated oven in batches until cookie tops look dry, about 8 minutes per batch, rotating baking sheets between top and bottom racks halfway through baking time. Let cool on baking sheets 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool completely, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.