RED WHITE AND BLUE TIE RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine butter and sugar in bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg, milk and almond extract; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour and baking powder; beat at low speed until well mixed.
• Divide dough into thirds; place each portion into separate bowls. Tint 1 portion with red food color and 1 portion with blue food color to desired shade.
• Shape each dough into ball; flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate 2-3 hours or until firm.
• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Working with half of each dough color (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), drop tablespoon-size pieces of dough from each color onto well-floured surface in random pattern with dough pieces touching. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness, forming marbled design. Cut with 2 1/2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter.
• Place cookies, 1 inch apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake 6-8 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to cooling rack.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 13 x 18-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric hand mixer on high speed until they are light and foamy and hold soft peaks, 3–4 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly pour in ? cup granulated sugar. Continue mixing for 2–3 minutes more, until the whites hold medium peaks.
• Add the egg yolks and remaining ? cup (135 g) granulated sugar to a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer on high speed until pale yellow, 3–4 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla and mix until combined, about 1 minute.
• Add half the whipped egg whites to the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold with a rubber spatula until mostly combined. Add the remaining egg whites and fold until evenly distributed.
• Sift in ½ cup flour and the salt. Fold until the batter is mostly smooth. Sift in the remaining ½ cup (60 g) flour and fold until combined.
• Divide the batter evenly between 3 medium bowls. Add the red food coloring to one bowl and the blue food coloring to another and mix until combined.
• Starting in one corner of the prepared baking sheet, scoop ¼ cup red batter, then scoop ¼ cup blue batter onto the center of the red batter, then scoop ¼ cup white batter onto the center of the blue batter to make a bullseye. Make another bullseye directly next to the first, beginning with blue batter, then white, then red. Make the next bullseye beginning with white batter, then red, then blue. Repeat, alternating colors and working around the pan until completely covered and all of the batter is used. If there are any gaps in the batter, use a knife to carefully nudge the batter to fill in.
• Starting in the center of each bullseye, use a knife to drag the batter outwards 5–6 times to create a tie-dye effect.
• Bake for 11–13 minutes, until fluffy and the cake springs back when gently pressed. Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Let cool for exactly 10 minutes.
• Drape a kitchen towel over the cake and dust with 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar. Flip the towel over, dust with another tablespoon of powdered sugar, and set a wire rack or large cutting board on top. Carefully invert the cake onto the rack, peel back the parchment from the bottom. Starting from a short end, carefully roll the cake into a log with the towel inside. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour.
• While the cake is chilling, make the whipped cream filling: Add the heavy cream to a medium bowl. Whip with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 3–4 minutes, until medium peaks form. Add the remaining ? cup powdered sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix for 30–60 seconds more, until combined and just stiff. Transfer ½ cup of the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a medium open star tip and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Carefully unroll the cooled cake. Spread the remaining whipped cream evenly over the cake. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sprinkles over the whipped cream. Roll the cake up again, leaving the towel behind. Chill the cake for at least 1 hour, or up to 12 hours, to set.
• Transfer the cake to a serving platter. Use a serrated knife to trim about 1 inch (2.54 cm) off each end to expose the spiral (save the scraps for snacking). Use the piping bag filled with whipped cream to pipe a coil of whipped cream down the center of the top of the cake, about 1½ inches (3.8 cm) wide. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sprinkles over the whipped cream.
• When ready to serve, cut with a serrated knife, cleaning the blade between each slice.
• Enjoy!