Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and gather all your ingredients.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until blended.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar for about 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Mix until combined.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined.

Divide the dough in half. Color one half with red gel food coloring.

Wrap both halves tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out each half into 10x12-inch rectangles, and layer the plain dough on top of the red dough.

Roll the layered dough tightly into a log shape and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Slice the chilled log into 1/4-inch thick rounds and optionally coat them in coarse sugar or crushed peppermint candies.

Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until edges are lightly golden.

Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.