Description
These Holiday Pinwheel Cookies are a delightful festive treat featuring a swirl of vanilla and raspberry flavored doughs. Soft, buttery, and visually striking with their red and white spirals, these slice-and-bake cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings or gifting. The dough can be prepared ahead and frozen, making them a convenient and charming choice for any celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup (250 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 cup (225 g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid red food coloring
- 1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Base Dough: Place the sugar, butter, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat together until the mixture is creamy, light in color, and clings to the bowl’s sides, about 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Add Egg: Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and mix until fully incorporated.
- Incorporate Flour: Slowly add the all-purpose flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together with no visible flour streaks.
- Divide and Color Dough: Transfer dough to a clean surface and divide in half. Set one half aside. Into the other half, add red food coloring and raspberry extract in the mixing bowl, blending until the color is uniform. Divide each half again, ending up with four equal balls—two plain vanilla and two raspberry.
- Shape and Chill Dough: Shape each ball into a rough square or rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to one day to firm up.
- Roll Out Dough Layers: Remove one dough piece, unwrap, and place between two sheets of parchment or wax paper. Roll into a 6 by 12-inch rectangle, flipping occasionally and smoothing out wrinkles in the paper. Transfer the rolled dough on the paper to a baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining three dough pieces, stacking them on the same baking sheet.
- Freeze Dough Sheets: Place the baking sheet with stacked dough sheets in the freezer for 15 minutes until firm but not frozen solid.
- Assemble Pinwheel Logs: Remove one vanilla and one raspberry dough sheet from the freezer. Peel back the top parchment and carefully flip the raspberry dough onto the vanilla dough, creating a sandwiched layer with vanilla on bottom and raspberry on top. Remove the remaining parchment and trim edges so layers align. Roll tightly from the long edge into a 12-inch log, peeling away the parchment as you roll. Repeat with the second pair, this time placing raspberry on the bottom to have the raspberry dough on the outside of the log.
- Chill the Dough Logs: Wrap each dough log tightly with parchment or plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Optionally, freeze up to one month.
- Slice and Bake Cookies: Preheat the oven and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Remove dough from the fridge, smooth edges by gently rolling the logs on the counter, and slice into 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick rounds. Arrange slices one inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until the edges are just starting to brown slightly, approximately 10 minutes.
- Cool and Store: Transfer baked cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Repeat slicing and baking remaining dough logs as needed.
Notes
- These festive cookies beautifully showcase a pinwheel effect by rolling together two differently colored and flavored doughs.
- The assembled logs can be frozen for up to one month, making these slice-and-bake cookies convenient to prepare ahead for holidays.
- Rolling dough between parchment papers helps prevent sticking and keeps the dough smooth and even in thickness.
- Let dough soften slightly if too firm to roll easily after chilling.
- Trim edges clean for the neatest pinwheel pattern when rolling logs.
- Slicing dough while cold helps keep the shape intact during baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approximate)
- Calories: 88 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 29 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 14 mg
