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Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe

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4.5 from 85 reviews

Festive and colorful Christmas Pinwheel Cookies featuring layers of red, green, and plain dough rolled into a spiral and finished with red sanding sugar. These buttery, tender cookies make a perfect holiday treat and decoration.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • red gel food coloring
  • green gel food coloring

Garnish

  • red sanding sugar

Instructions

  1. Prepare butter and sugar: Beat the softened butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until the mixture is creamy and smooth. This provides a light and fluffy base for the cookies.
  2. Add egg and vanilla: Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract into the butter-sugar mixture, mixing thoroughly to combine all wet ingredients evenly.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and baking soda. Gradually add this dry mixture to the mixer on low speed, mixing just until combined to form a dough.
  4. Divide and color dough: Divide the dough into three equal parts. Color one portion with red gel food coloring, another with green gel food coloring, and leave the last portion plain (no color). Wrap each dough portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.
  5. Roll dough squares: Roll each chilled dough portion between parchment paper into a 7-inch square. After rolling, refrigerate the sheets again for 15 minutes to maintain firmness.
  6. Layer and roll dough: Stack the three dough squares in the order: red, green, and plain. Carefully roll the stacked layers into a 12×8-inch rectangle, then tightly roll this rectangle into a log shape. Freeze the log for 1 hour to make slicing easier.
  7. Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup.
  8. Slice and garnish cookies: Slice the frozen dough log into 1/3-inch thick rounds. Roll the edges of each slice in red sanding sugar and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving some space between each cookie for spreading.
  9. Bake cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers remain slightly soft. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 1 minute.
  10. Cool on wire rack: Transfer the cookies carefully to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents sogginess and ensures crisp edges.

Notes

  • Using gel food coloring prevents the dough from becoming too wet, ensuring proper texture.
  • Chilling the dough at multiple stages helps in achieving clean layers and easier slicing.
  • If you do not have a stand mixer, a hand mixer or vigorous hand mixing can be used instead.
  • For a more festive look, try alternating the order of colored dough layers.
  • Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Keywords: Christmas cookies, pinwheel cookies, holiday baking, festive cookies, layered cookies

Find it online: https://kitchenwithkai.com/christmas-pinwheel-cookies-recipe/