Pistachio Swirls

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 batch of sugar cookie dough or your favorite sugar cookie dough recipe, refrigerated
1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios
3 tsp all-purpose flour, divided
Green and red concentrated paste icing colors
1/4 tsp almond extract

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Divide cookie dough in half and put each half in small bowl.  To one bowl, add pistachios, 1 1/2 tsp of the flour and the green coloring; work together with wooden spoon until well blended.  To second bowl, add remaining 1 1/2 tsp flour, red coloring and almond extract; blend well.

Between sheets of plastic wrap, roll each dough out into a 7 1/2 x 11 inch rectangle.  Pull out any wrinkles that develop in the wrap as you roll.  Remove top sheets of plastic; flip green dough over onto red dough.  Remove top sheet of wrap.  Use bottom piece of plastic to help roll up dough, jelly-roll fashion.  Cover with wrap and place on un-greased cookie sheet.  Chill 10 minutes in freezer.

Remove sheet from freezer and unwrap dough.  With serrated knife, cut roll of dough into 1/4 inch slices.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown.  Let cookies cool for a few minutes on trays before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.  Store in airtight container at room temperature up to one week or in freezer up to six months.