Watermelon Cookies

When it's winter and it's 80 degrees outside, do you get inspired to make comfort food? NO...you make shortbread cookies with a summer theme! They don't taste like watermelon, they are a yummy shortbread cookie with a fun shape! Tomorrow is a special day. My amazing father in law will be celebrating his birthday. I wanted to bring something to the party, so I whipped these up this morning. They were super easy and actually fun to make.

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp green food color
3/4 tsp red food color
1/4 tsp yellow food color
1 egg white
1 ounce semi sweet or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Mix butter and sugar in mixer till creamy. Mix in flour, almond extract, salt and egg. Remove 1/3 of dough and place in a bowl. Tint the 1/3 of dough with green food color. Knead the dough until all the green is mixed in. Tint all the remaining dough with the red and yellow food colors. Knead until colors are mixed through. Shape red dough into a roll that is 2 inches in diameter and 5 1/2 inches long. 

Gently roll green dough to 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface into a rectangle that is 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches. Beat egg white in a bowl. Brush egg white over the top of the rectangle. Place red dough on short end of green dough and roll up. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2-4 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut roll into 1/4 inch slices. Cut each slice in half. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle chopped chocolate over each cookie to resemble "seeds". Bake 10-12 minutes.
* My  thoughts are that next time I make these I might consider adding just a bit more sugar to sweeten them up a bit!