Quilt Block Sugar Cookies

Source: Washington Post via Haley Claremon

Ingredients

• 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour (plus more as needed)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 assorted gel food colorings

Instructions

1. Beat together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer and a large bowl, until smooth and somewhat lightened. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat again on medium-high until combined, 1 minute more. Scrape down the bowl one more time.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl, about 1/2 cup at a time, until almost combined. The dough will look a little dry or crumbly.
3. Divide the dough into four equal portions, about 215 grams each, leaving one in the mixer bowl and transferring the rest to small individual bowls. Return the mixer to medium-high and beat for 30 seconds, until the dough fully comes together. The dough should be moist but not sticky, and easy to handle. If the dough is too soft or tacky, stir in a little more flour until it comes together. Transfer this uncolored batch to a small bowl.
4. Return one portion of remaining dough at a time to the mixer bowl and add 2 to 3 drops of food coloring. Mix on medium-high until the color is evenly distributed, then return each colored batch to the individual bowls.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper.
6. It’s time to cut and shape the cookies! Lightly flour work surface and rolling pin. Grab one color of dough at a time and roll it to a thickness of 1/4 inch, then start cutting and assembling into quilt blocks using squares and triangle shapes as in the guide below:
   
   The full cutting and shaping instructions can be found in the Washington Post recipe source here.
7. Gently roll over the completed blocks with a rolling pin until all the sections are an even thickness, and trim or nudge the sides together to make a clean square.
8. Bake one sheet at a time for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the cookies slightly puff and the different segments adhere to one another. As soon as they come out of the oven, use the side of a knife to gently nudge them back into squares. Let cool on the pans for at least 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.