Description
These Perfect Christmas Pinwheel Cookies are festive, colorful, and sure to impress your guests at holiday gatherings. Made with a tender buttery dough split into vibrant red and green swirled layers, these cookies bring a delightful visual and delicious taste to your Christmas cookie platter.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- a few drops red gel food coloring
- a few drops green gel food coloring
Decoration
- Red sanding sugar, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s ready when your dough is prepared.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. This helps incorporate air for a tender cookie texture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined, ensuring the dough is smooth and uniform.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and baking soda to evenly distribute the leavening and seasoning.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing gently until just combined to avoid overworking the dough, which can make cookies tough.
- Divide and Color Dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions. Add red gel food coloring to one half and green gel food coloring to the other, kneading each portion to evenly distribute the colors.
- Shape the Dough: Flatten each colored dough portion between sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thickness. Layer one flattened dough on top of the other and gently roll them together to create a swirl effect.
- Chill the Dough: Chill the rolled dough swirl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up, making it easier to slice.
- Slice and Arrange: Once firm, slice the dough into 1/4 inch thick rounds and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them slightly apart.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly golden, ensuring they are cooked through but still tender.
- Cool and Decorate: Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack. Sprinkle with red sanding sugar to add sparkle and a festive finish.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring to avoid altering the dough’s consistency with liquid colorings.
- Be careful not to overmix after adding flour to keep the cookies tender.
- Chilling the dough is essential for clean slicing and maintaining the pinwheel shape.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before storing to maintain their texture.
