Step 1

Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle attachment, beat at medium speed until creamy: about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to combine. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and beat to combine. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into thirds.

Step 3

Return one portion of the dough to the mixing bowl, add in the red food coloring, and beat until evenly colored. Remove the dough, wipe the bowl clean, and repeat with another third of dough and the green food coloring. The final third of the dough requires no food coloring. Shape each portion of the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 4

Remove from the refrigerator and roll each ball between two sheets of parchment paper into a 7-inch square. Refrigerate the dough again, for 15 minutes, keeping it between the parchment paper.

Step 5

Stack the dough onto a piece of parchment paper starting with the red, followed by the green, and ending with the plain. Add a piece of parchment paper to the top and roll out the dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper. Then, starting on one of the long sides, tightly roll up the dough into a log. Wrap the log in the parchment paper and freeze for one hour.

Step 6

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 7

Use a serrated knife to cut the dough log into 1/3-inch thick slices. Roll the edge of each slice in the red sanding sugar. Place the slices 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Step 8

Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Once completely cooled, pack and store in an airtight container.