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Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe

Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
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★★★★★

4.9 from 21 reviews

These festive Christmas Pinwheel Cookies feature colorful red, green, and plain layers rolled into a beautiful spiral. They are buttery, tender, and subtly sweet with a hint of vanilla, perfect for holiday celebrations and cookie exchanges.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • Red gel food coloring
  • Green gel food coloring

Garnish

  • Red sanding sugar

Instructions

  1. Creaming the Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar together at medium speed for about 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture becomes creamy and light. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat again until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients and Combine: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender. Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and divide it into three equal portions.
  3. Color the Dough: Place one portion back into the clean mixing bowl, add red gel food coloring, and beat until the dough color is uniform. Clean the bowl, then repeat the process with the second portion using green gel food coloring. Leave the final third dough plain. Shape each portion into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill and firm up.
  4. Roll Out the Dough Layers: On a piece of parchment paper, roll each chilled dough ball between two sheets of parchment paper into a 7-inch square. After rolling, refrigerate each layer for another 15 minutes, keeping them between parchment sheets to maintain shape and prevent sticking.
  5. Assemble and Roll the Pinwheel: Start by stacking the dough layers on a parchment sheet in this order: red on the bottom, then green, and plain on top. Place another parchment sheet on the stacked layers and gently roll the entire stack into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle ensuring the layers bond together. Carefully remove the top parchment sheet, and starting at one of the long edges, roll the dough tightly into a log. Wrap the log tightly in parchment paper and freeze for 1 hour to firm up before slicing.
  6. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
  7. Slice and Garnish Cookies: Using a serrated knife, slice the chilled dough log into 1/3-inch thick rounds. Roll the edges of each cookie slice in red sanding sugar for a sparkling festive finish. Place the cookies spaced about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets to allow room for spreading.
  8. Bake and Cool Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are set and edges just begin to turn golden. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let cookies cool on the sheets for 1 minute before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.

Notes

  • Be careful not to overmix the dough to keep cookies tender.
  • Use gel food coloring as it won’t alter the dough texture like liquid coloring can.
  • Chilling the dough multiple times helps maintain the pinwheel shape during baking.
  • If you don’t have red and green gel food coloring, you can substitute with natural coloring powders or omit for plain pinwheels.
  • Sanding sugar adds festive sparkle and slight crunch but can be omitted or substituted with colored sugar crystals.
  • Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the dough log cleanly without squashing the pinwheel layers.

Nutrition

Keywords: Christmas cookies, pinwheel cookies, holiday baking, festive cookies, sugar cookies, colorful cookies

Find it online: https://cheframiflavor.com/christmas-pinwheel-cookies-recipe/