May Your Desserts be Merry and Bright with Natural Tri-Color Christmas Cookies

A few weeks ago, sitting at our weekly dinner with my husband Tim and his brother Nate, I quizzed them about their favorite Christmas memories. I asked, “What were some of your favorite Christmas foods?”

I like asking them together about their childhoods because, in the way that your best friend remembers things about that summer road trip that you forgot, the two of them round out each other’s stories.

Tim said pasta. Nate tried to think.

But before long, they were telling me about the piles of cookies their mom made every year, from melt-in-your-mouth snowflake cookies to kolachkys (a favorite in my childhood, as well) to what Tim referred to as “color cookies,” something I’d never heard of before.

“You remember them, Nate, the ones that had food coloring in them? Red and blue and gold and green?”

As kids, they hadn’t liked the color cookies best, not compared to the classic chocolate chip or cut-outs or other treats.

But, still, thinking about them now reminds them of their mom, a woman I like to hear about often – I am sad to say I never got to meet her.

Sometimes while I’m talking to the two of them, I wish their mom could see who her sons became: two of the kindest, most faithful, thoughtful men I’ve known.

So, in memory of their mom this holiday season, we decided to make our own einkorn flour version of them this week with natural food coloring.

We chose to use ingredients with naturally deep pigments: turmeric powder for a golden yellow color, matcha powder for an evergreen shade, and beet juice for a perfect pink hue.

We went to the grocery store, gearing up for our holiday travels: snacks, last-minute gift cards, ingredients for the cookies, and probably our tenth pound of butter this month.

Tomorrow, we’re piling in the car again with Nate, the kids, our presents, our suitcases, and tins full of these cookies. We’re launching into what will be one of three long drives that we’re taking over the next week, caravanning from family to family and back home again.

For us, we love it. Our Christmas celebrations always center on family. And cookies.

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Measure out the einkorn flour, cornstarch, salt, honey, turmeric, matcha green tea powder, beet juice, and sugar.

Cut the cold unsalted butter into cubes.

Separate three egg yolks from the whites. Save one white to use for brushing in a later step.

But what to do with the other 2 whites? You can use them to make a variety of recipes: macaroons, meringues, and muffins!

Step 2 – Make the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together 2 cups of the einkorn flour, the cornstarch, and the sea salt. Add the cubed butter, and cut into the flour at low speed until there are small, pea-sized pieces throughout the mixture.

Add the honey and egg yolks. Mix at low speed until a soft dough forms.

Step 3 – Divide the Dough

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a clean counter. Shape the dough into a ball. Divide the dough equally into 3 discs. Cover each in plastic wrap, since you will work with one piece at a time.

Step 4 – Add Yellow Color

In the same bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or you can also choose to knead with your hands), mix the turmeric into one of the discs of dough on low speed until it is evenly tinted yellow.

Remove from the bowl. Roll into a rough log, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside on the counter as you work with the remaining discs.

Step 5 – Add Green Color

Repeat the mixing process with the second disc of dough and the matcha green tea powder, mixing until the dough is evenly tinted green. You don’t need to worry about cleaning the bowl and paddle after each color. Any small amount of leftover dough or natural dye ingredients will not affect the other dough’s colors.

Remove from the bowl. Roll into a rough log, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside on the counter as you work with the last disc.

Step 6 – Add Pink Color

Repeat the mixing process with the third disc of dough and the beet juice.

The beet juice will add more liquid to the dough, which will soften it. Add an additional tablespoon of the flour to the mixture in order to re-stiffen the dough.

Step 7 – Shape and Build

On a clean, flat surface, roll out each rough log of colored dough into a thin log that is about 12 1/2 inches long and about 1/2 inch wide.

Place one log on a large cutting board, baking sheet, or platter. As long as the board is long enough for the logs, you’re good!

With a pastry brush, brush a very thin layer of egg whites along the side of one of the logs. Gently press together the side of a second log with the side of the log with the egg whites on it, so they stick together.

Brush a very thin layer of egg white on the top of both conjoined logs. Gently press the third log on top of the other two logs, creating a triangular shape. Re-shape the logs if necessary to maintain their round shapes.

Cover the dough in plastic wrap, and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours, until very cold and completely firm.

Step 8 – Cut

After chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F. Remove from the refrigerator and cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick. This is why I like to assemble the logs on a cutting board –it’s an easy transition from shaping to chilling to cutting.

Place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch of space between each (they won’t spread), and refrigerate for an additional 30 minutes – this extra chilling step helps to keep the cookies’ shapes while they bake.

Step 9 – Bake

Remove from the refrigerator. Sprinkle the top of the cookies with the organic granulated or turbinado sugar and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges just start to turn golden.

Remove from the oven, and let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.