Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
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What’s Up, Hungry People
Ready for a fun twist on a classic cookie? Let’s talk sugar cookie pinwheels! These colorful cookies are made by rolling out colored sugar cookie dough, layering it, and rolling it up to create a stunning swirl effect. For an extra festive touch, you can roll them in sprinkles before baking. The best part? These pinwheel cookies might look fancy, but they’re surprisingly easy to make. Grab your rolling pin, and let’s get baking!
Here’s What You Need
- Flour: Forms the base of the dough.
- Butter: Adds richness and flavor.
- Sugar: Sweetens the dough.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cookies rise.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla: Adds a warm, sweet aroma.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients together.
- Red Gel Food Coloring: Colors one portion of the dough.
- Green Gel Food Coloring: Colors another portion of the dough.
Let’s Cook
First things first, grab your stand mixer and let’s get this party started. Beat together the sugar and butter until they’re best friends – you’re looking for a fluffy consistency here. Next, mix in the egg, salt, vanilla, and baking powder. Once that’s all combined, sift in the flour and keep mixing until you have a soft dough.
Dividing and Coloring the Dough
Now, divide that dough into three equal parts. When you’re not working with a portion, keep it wrapped in plastic and chilling in the fridge – we don’t want it getting too warm and sticky. Take one portion and mix in the red food coloring until it’s a vibrant red. Do the same with another portion using the green food coloring. Leave the third portion plain. Wrap each colored dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
Rolling and Layering
Ready to roll? Lightly flour a smooth surface and roll each portion of dough thin, about half a centimeter in thickness. Layer each sheet of dough between plastic wrap and place them on a cookie sheet. Chill these flattened layers for another hour.
Assembling the Pinwheels
Once the dough is well chilled, remove the plastic wrap and sandwich the plain dough layer between the red and green layers. Gently press the layers together, and trim the edges to make them straight. Roll the layered dough into a log shape, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and chill again for at least an hour.
Baking Time
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and cut into even 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange these slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone mats. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are puffed up and cooked through.
Cooling and Enjoying
After baking, let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes – they’ll finish baking on the hot tray. After about ten minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Troubleshooting and Tips
- Chilling the Dough: Always keep your dough chilled to prevent it from becoming too sticky and hard to work with. If it starts to warm up, pop it back in the fridge.
- Even Layers: Ensure each layer of dough is rolled out to an even thickness to create uniform pinwheels. Use a ruler if needed!
- Cutting the Cookies: Use a sharp knife to cut the dough log into slices to prevent squishing the layers together.
- Sprinkle Option: For an extra festive touch, roll the dough log in sprinkles before slicing for a colorful exterior.
- Storage: Store your cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh. They also freeze well if you want to make them ahead of time.
These sugar cookie pinwheels are a fun and festive treat that will add a pop of color to your holiday cookie platter. They might look tricky, but with a little patience and some time chilling the dough, you’ll have beautiful cookies that taste as good as they look. Plus, the option to roll them in sprinkles makes them even more special. Perfect for sharing with family and friends or keeping all to yourself – we won’t judge. Happy baking, Hungry People – and enjoy your colorful Christmas cookies!
Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour + more for dusting
- 1 cup butter cut into squares & room temperature
- ¾ cups sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring + more as needed to color
- 1 teaspoon green gel food coloring + more as needed to color
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Mix in the egg, salt, vanilla, and baking powder. Sift in the flour and beat until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough into three equal portions. When not working with the dough, keep it wrapped in plastic and chill in the fridge. Take a single portion and mix in the red food coloring until the dough is a sufficient red color. Repeat with the green food gel and another portion of dough. Leave the final portion plain. Wrap all three, separately, in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
- Lightly flour a smooth surface. Working on one color at a time, roll the dough thin. Once it's about half a centimeter in thickness, transfer the sheet of dough onto plastic wrap and press a second piece of plastic wrap on top. Place each of these flattened layers on a cookie sheet and chill for another hour.
- Take all three sheets of dough out of the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap and sandwich the plain/white layer between the red and green layers. Gently press the layers together. Trim the edges so that they are all straight. Roll the layers of dough into a log shape. Wrap plastic tightly around the dough and chill again for at least an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and cut into pieces of even 1/2-inch thickness. Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone mats. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are puffed up and cooked through.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes after removing them from the oven. They will finish baking on the hot tray. After about ten minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
