Holiday swirl cookies

This mommy made the cutest cookies the other day..... these are my holiday swirl cookies, these are pretty easy to make and look super cute sitting on a plate to serve to guests!
So you will start with making a sugar cookie dough..... any recipe you like is fine but here's the one I use:
Cream: 1 cup butter and 2/3 cup sugar
Beat in 1 egg
Add 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 1/2 cups flour
Mix until all ingredients are well blended. 
Divide dough into 2 equal halves.
Leave one half as is, and use food coloring to color the other half the color you would like.
Chill dough for a couple hours before rolling out.


Once chilled take the first half of dough and on a floured surface roll dough out into a 9 X 11 rectangle.  Take the other half of dough and do the same. 
Take a small amount of water and rub the top of one of the rectangles with water to make it slighty sticky. place the other rectangle on top of the wetted side of the first one.  (This can be difficult by yourself, the daddy normally helps this mommy do this part, but if you are doing it yourself you can use wax paper to roll the rectangles on instead of just a floured surface so that you can lift it up using the paper)
Lightly press the dough together (not too much or you will lose your swirl!)
Trim the edges to make them even.
Take the dough on the 11" end and start rolling the 2 rectangles together into a log roll.
once they are rolled together you can look at the end and see the swirl  :)  (this mommy is excited at this point)
You can then lay out sprinkles on a cookie sheet (cover the whole sheet) and roll the dough roll in the sprinkles making a "skin" of sprinkles on the outer layer (you don't have to use sprinkles but they are fun!)
Then you will get your sharpest knife out (be careful!  This mommy doesn't want anyone hurting themselves for the sake of cookies!) and begin cutting off the cookies.  Cut a 1/4 inch thick and lay the peices on greased baking sheets.
Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. (however every oven will vary, your first batch just watch and learn)
Take them out when they are barely golden brown, if you cook them too long you will lose the high contrast of swirls!
Let them cool, and enjoy! 
They are worth it I promise!  Take a look.........

Now aren't those cute?  They are perfect for a holiday platter!!  And you can make them for any occasion and just change up the colors!  I'm thinking football party in the colors of the team you cheer for....... yeah that would be awesome!  Enjoy!  This mommy is going to go eat some of these now!