Description
Christmas Pinwheel Cookies are festive, colorful treats perfect for the holiday season. These buttery sugar cookies have vibrant red, green, and white swirls, rolled in holiday sprinkles for an extra cheerful touch. The dough is chilled to maintain firm layers ensuring each slice reveals a beautiful pinwheel pattern. Baked to a delicate golden finish, they make a delightful and eye-catching addition to any Christmas cookie platter.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (360 g) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Coloring & Decoration
- ½ teaspoon red food coloring
- ½ teaspoon green food coloring
- ½ cup Holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt, then set the mixture aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate mixing bowl, beat the softened butter together with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring until no streaks of flour remain, forming the cookie dough base.
- Divide and Color Dough: Divide the dough into three equal portions. Add red food coloring to one portion, green food coloring to the second, and leave the third portion white. Mix each portion thoroughly until the color is uniform.
- Roll and Layer Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll each colored dough portion into a roughly 12×8 inch (30×20 cm) rectangle. Layer them in the order of green on the bottom, white in the middle, and red on top.
- Form the Pinwheel Log: Starting with the long end, tightly roll the layered dough into a log. Roll the log in holiday sprinkles, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. The rolling process may stretch the log slightly. Place the wrapped log in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours. This chilling is crucial to maintain the cookie shape when slicing.
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) or 160°C if using a fan oven. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Slice and Arrange Cookies: Remove the chilled dough log from the fridge and slice it into ¼ inch thick slices. Place the slices cut side down onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly puffed and lightly golden around the edges. For even baking, rotate the baking sheets halfway through the baking time.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy your festive pinwheel cookies!
Notes
- Rotate cookies halfway through baking for even cooking and browning.
- This recipe yields approximately 3-4 dozen cookies depending on how tightly the dough is rolled.
- Chilling the dough log is essential to maintain firm, distinct color layers for the pinwheel effect when slicing.
- Any dough trimmings can be baked as well; they make lovely multicolored swirl cookies.
