Description
Festive Christmas pinwheel cookies swirl holiday cheer with delightful red and white spirals of sweet nostalgia. Crisp, buttery layers invite warm memories of family gatherings and seasonal joy you’ll savor with each delicate, cheerful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Baking Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Binding and Flavor Ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Seasoning and Leavening Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Red gel food coloring
- Green gel food coloring
- Sprinkles (optional, for rolling)
Instructions
- Craft the foundational mixture by whisking together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, setting it aside momentarily. In a separate spacious bowl, thoroughly blend butter and sugar until achieving a whipped, airy consistency. Incorporate egg and vanilla extract, gently stirring until harmoniously combined.
- Partition the dough into three uniform segments. Preserve one portion in its natural state. Infuse the second portion with vibrant red gel food coloring and the third with festive green gel food coloring, ensuring thorough and even pigmentation throughout each section.
- Meticulously roll each dough portion into delicate rectangular sheets approximately 14-inch thick, utilizing parchment paper as a protective barrier. Refrigerate the dough sheets for half an hour to enhance malleability and ease of handling. Upon chilling, carefully layer the dough rectangles – commencing with the plain variant, followed by red, then green – trimming edges for precise alignment if necessary.
- Employing the parchment paper as a guiding mechanism, delicately transform the stacked layers into a compact, tightly wound cylindrical form, initiating the roll from one elongated edge. Refrigerate the log for approximately one hour or until achieving a solid, manageable consistency.
- Heat the oven to 350F (175C), preparing baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the chilled dough log into precise 14-inch rounds, positioning them systematically with generous spacing. Bake for 1012 minutes, monitoring until edges appear set but not overly bronzed. Allow cookies to rest on baking sheets for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- For an optional whimsical touch, consider rolling the dough log in festive sprinkles prior to slicing, creating a playful, celebratory border around each delightful cookie.
Notes
- Soften butter at room temperature for easier creaming and smoother dough texture, ensuring even mixing without lumps.
- Chill dough between rolling and stacking to prevent color bleeding and maintain crisp, distinct layers in pinwheel design.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant, concentrated colors that won’t water down the cookie dough or alter its consistency.
- Create uniform layers by rolling dough to exact thickness using wooden dowels or rolling pin guides for professional-looking cookies.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg