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Holiday Pinwheel Cookies

Anita Chu

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon Rodelle vanilla extract or vanilla paste
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • Red and green food coloring
  • Sprinkles as desired

Instructions
 

  • Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  • Put butter in bowl of stand mixer and beat on medium speed with paddle attachment until smooth and creamy. Add in the sugar and beat for several more minutes until very light and fluffy.
  • Add in the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate. Add in the vanilla extract and almond extracts and beat to incorporate.
  • Add in the flour mixture in several additions, beating just to incorporate.
  • Divide dough into three equal portions. Form the first portion into a rough rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator.
  • Add red food coloring as desired to second portion of dough and mix in the stand mixer until color is evenly incorporated. Form dough into a rough rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator.
  • Add green food coloring as desired to second portion of dough and mix in the stand mixer until color is evenly incorporated. Form dough into a rough rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator.
  • Chill dough for about an hour until it's firm and no longer soft and sticky. Take out first portion of dough from refrigerator and roll out between two sheets of parchment paper or wax paper to 1/4" thick. If the dough is too soft, return to refrigerator to chill some more before trying to roll out.
  • Repeat rolling out process with the other two pieces of dough. Try to roll them out to about the same size rectangle so that you can stack the three layers on top of each other easily.
  • Chill dough in refrigerator for another half hour to let them firm up again.
  • Take out first piece of dough from refrigerator and take off top layer of parchment paper or wax paper.
  • Take out second (red) piece of dough and take off top layer of paper. Place dough down over the first piece of dough and take off the other layer of paper.
  • Take out third (green) piece of dough and take off top layer of paper. Place dough down over the first piece of dough and take off the other layer of paper. Run a rolling pin lightly over the top of dough to press the layers together.
  • Starting at one end of the dough stack, roll up the dough into a log. If the dough is too hard and starts cracking, let it sit for a few minutes to soften. If the dough is too soft and starts falling apart, chill it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and try again. Tip: using the parchment paper as an aid to help roll up the dough helps hold it together and prevent it from cracking and falling apart so easily.
  • Spread a layer of sprinkles over a baking sheet and roll the dough in it if desired.
  • Chill the roll of dough in the refrigerator for about half an hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Using a sharp knife, cut 1/4" thick slices from the roll of dough and place on prepared sheets.
  • Bake for 10-11 minutes, rotating halfway through, until tops are firm and dry and edges are just starting to turn golden.
  • Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks.