Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

Course: cookie, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 10

Chill: 1

Total Time: 1 35

Servings: cookies

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Becky Hardin - Easy Dessert Recipes

Serve the prettiest cookies at the exchange this year when you bring these homemade Christmas Pinwheel Cookies! Red and white swirled cookies are gorgeous and surprisingly easy to make from scratch. With just a hint of peppermint, they're festively flavored and tasty as can be.

Print Recipe

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Stand Mixer
Rolling Pin
Baking Sheet

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter 226 grams, room temperature (2 sticks)
¼ cup powdered sugar 28 grams
¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
¾ teaspoon peppermint extract 3 grams
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Red food coloring

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and sugar together on high speed for 1 minute.
1 cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar
Add the flour, peppermint extract, and salt and beat together until smooth.
2 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Divide the dough into 2 equal sections. Keep one section in the stand mixer bowl and place the other section in a separate bowl.
Add a drop or 2 of red food coloring to the dough that is still in the stand mixer bowl. Beat together until all of the dough is red.
Red food coloring
Place a large piece of plastic wrap onto the counter. Place the white (no food coloring added) dough on top. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle (approximately 7x9 inches).
Remove the red dough from the bowl and carefully press or roll it out on top of the white dough. It should completely cover the white dough (and become the same shape as the white dough).
Before rolling, slice about ¼ inch of dough off of the end closest to you so there’s a nice, neat line of dough to start with. This ensures pretty pinwheel centers.
Use the plastic wrap the help you roll the dough into a log. Do not wrap the plastic wrap into the log. Once the dough is in a tight log, tightly wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
Once the dough log has chilled, preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place on a cutting board. Cut the log into cookies about ½-inch thick.
Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet leaving 2 inches of space between them.
Bake cookies for 10 minutes - the cookies will still look soft at this point.
Remove them from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool before serving.

Notes

Use a sharp knife to ensure nice clean cuts when you slice the dough log into cookies.
When you slice the log, make sure you're cutting the dough into perfect ½-inch slices. Use a ruler for the most exact measurements.
CHILL THE DOUGH! It's essential for this recipe, otherwise, your cookies will spread like crazy in the hot oven.
These cookies would be just as festive with green food coloring or even a combination of red, green, and white. For pinwheel cookies with 3 colors, simply split the dough into 3 sections (color 1 section red, 1 section green, and keep 1 section plain) and layer the dough in whichever order you desire.

Storage: Store Christmas pinwheel cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition