Marbled Peppermint Nuggets

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line one or two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg yolk, peppermint extract and vanilla, and continue beating until smooth and well mixed. Add the flour and salt, and beat on low speed until thoroughly combined. Remove half of the dough from the mixing bowl and set aside. Add the red food colouring to the remaining half of dough in the mixing bowl and beat just until the colour is evenly mixed into the dough – I like the colour to be more pink than red, but your child may have other ideas.

• Divide each ball of dough – both the pink and the plain – into 4 equal pieces. Working with one ball at a time, roll each one into a 12 in. (30 cm) rope. Take one plain rope and twist it gently together with a pink one, then lightly roll the two together to form a single rope (so you will end up with 4 barber-pole striped ropes). If a rope breaks when you're twisting it, just piece it back together – it won’t matter in the end. Cut each twisted rope into 9 equal pieces. Gently roll each piece into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet. If all has gone according to plan, the pink and white marble effect should be noticeable. Squash a chocolate chip or chocolate kiss into the middle of each nugget. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom.