Valentine’s Day Swirled Sables

Nibbles and Bites Issue #30: Natural beet food coloring & more

If you’re looking for a sweet treat to make this Valentine's Day, might I suggest these swirled pink sable cookies that taste delicious as they are mesmerizing to look at. For this recipe, I make two different shortbread doughs, one that is flavored with vanilla and one that is dyed with a natural beet food coloring, which does not impart any flavor at all, but gives the dough a vibrant pink hue that mellows after baking. 

Both doughs are divided and rolled out into similarly sized rectangles and then stacked on top of each other to create clear and distinct stripes. The layers of dough are then rolled up into a log creating a swirled pattern.

If you wanted a more elaborate design, you could introduce a third color or if you want even more swirls thorough, you could roll the dough out thinner creating more layers although doing so could make each layer less defined. I coated the outside of these cookies with white sanding sugar so they catch the light and twinkle in the sunshine, but crushed coconut flakes, sprinkles, edible flowers or freeze dried raspberry powder would all create interesting effects. Whatever effect you go with, the outcome will be gorgeous! 

I ended up bringing these Valentine’s Day shortbread cookies to a birthday party at a bowling alley this week and the entire tray of cookies was devoured within minutes!