Sugar Cookie Lollipops

Instructions

• Stir flour with baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

• Beat butter with sugar, using an electric mixer on medium-high, in a large bowl until fluffy, 2 to 3 min. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture until combined.

• Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Form 2 portions into 2-in.-wide logs. Place remaining 2 portions in separate bowls. Add red gel food colouring to one bowl. Stick a toothpick into green gel food colouring, and then into second bowl. Stir each until fully combined. Form each portion of dough into a 2-in.-wide log.

• Roll out 1 portion of dough into a 10 x 6-in. rectangle, about 1/4 in. thick, on a large piece of waxed paper. (If dough is cracking a lot, knead in a few drops of water and then roll out again.) Repeat with a portion of dough in another colour on another piece of waxed paper. Carefully lay 1 piece of dough over the other. Have the short end of the rectangle facing you. Using the waxed paper as a guide, roll up dough into a log. Wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Continue with remaining 2 pieces of dough.

• Preheat oven to 325F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

• Remove 1 log from the refrigerator. Using a serrated knife, cut off 1 end to make a smooth edge. Cut log into1/2-in.-thick rounds. When dough thaws a little, insert a cookie lollipop stick into the edge of each cookie until it reaches the centre. Arrange on baking sheets about 2 in. apart. (As dough softens, you can gently press the edge of the cookie into a rounder shape, if needed.)

• Bake in centre of oven until cookies are puffed up and just starting to turn golden around the edges, 18 to 20 min. Let cookies stand on baking sheet for 10 min. Remove cookies to a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Repeat with remaining dough.