Braided Butter Cookies

Delightful and visually appealing, these braided butter cookies are a fun twist on traditional sugar cookies. The soft, buttery dough is easy to work with, allowing you to create colorful and artistic designs. Whether you're making them for a special occasion or just to satisfy your sweet cravings, these cookies are sure to impress!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Food coloring optional
• Sprinkles for decorating optional

Instructions:

In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth

Beat in the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated

Gradually add the all-purpose flour and salt, mixing well after each addition, to form a soft dough

Divide the dough into equal portions and add food coloring to each portion if desired, kneading until the color is evenly distributed

Preheat the oven to 350F 175C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Take a small piece of each colored dough and roll them into thin ropes of equal length

Place the ropes side by side and gently press them together at the top

Starting from the top, carefully braid the ropes together, keeping the colors in the same order

Once the ropes are braided, gently press the ends together and tuck them under the cookie

Place the braided cookies on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each cookie

If desired, decorate the cookies with sprinkles

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden

Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely