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1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
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2
(You can also use parchment paper.)
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3
Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
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4
Add the egg whites and beat until incorporated.
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5
Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour and beat until just incorporated.
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6
Transfer 1 tablespoon of the batter to a small bowl and stir in the red food coloring.
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7
Spoon 1 tablespoon of the plain batter onto the silcone mat; use an offset spatula to spread the batter into a very thin oval, about 4 by 6 inches.
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8
Repeat to make 3 more ovals on the mat.
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9
Dip a toothpick into the red batter and drag it diagonally across the ovals to make thin red stripes.
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10
Bake until the cookies are set and the edges are just golden, about 7 minutes.
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11
Let cool 45 seconds, then immediately loosen the cookies from the baking sheet with an offset spatula and roll each one lengthwise around a chopstick or the handle of a thin wooden spoon to make a tube.
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12
Pull out the chopstick and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
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13
(You'll need to work quickly or the cookies will harden; if they do, return to the oven briefly to soften.)
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14
Repeat with the remaining batter, letting the baking sheet cool completely between batches.
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15
Photograph by Andrew Purcell
