Description
These festive Holiday Pinwheel Cookies feature a delightful swirl of vanilla and raspberry-flavored doughs, rolled into eye-catching spirals. Perfect for the holidays, these buttery, tender cookies combine a subtle raspberry extract and vibrant food coloring that make each bite as beautiful as it is delicious. Easy to prepare ahead and slice-and-bake, they make a charming addition to any cookie tray or gift box.
Ingredients
Scale
Basic Dough
- 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
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour
Colored Dough
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid red food coloring
- 1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract
Instructions
- Mix the Basic Dough: Place the sugar, butter, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture is creamy, lighter in color, and sticks to the bowl sides.
- Add Egg: Scrape the bowl sides, add the egg, and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add Flour: On low speed, mix in the flour until the dough is uniform and no streaks of flour remain.
- Divide and Color Dough: Turn dough out onto a clean surface and divide in half. Set one half aside plain. Return the other half to the bowl, add red food coloring and raspberry extract, and mix until evenly colored. Divide each half again so you have four dough balls—two plain and two raspberry.
- Shape and Chill Dough: Roughly shape each ball into a square or rectangle. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours to firm the dough.
- Roll Dough Sheets: Remove one dough piece, unwrap, and place on wax or parchment paper. Cover with another sheet and roll into a 6×12 inch rectangle, flipping occasionally to prevent sticking. Fix any wrinkles by reapplying parchment paper as needed. Transfer rolled dough, still sandwiched between papers, to a baking sheet. Repeat with all dough pieces, stacking sheets on the baking sheet.
- Freeze Layers: Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes until firm but not frozen solid.
- Assemble Log – Vanilla Bottom: Remove one vanilla and one raspberry dough sheet. Peel the top parchment off each. Flip the raspberry dough onto the vanilla dough so vanilla is on bottom; peel away remaining paper. Trim edges to align perfectly. Roll dough from the long edge into a 12-inch log, removing parchment as you roll.
- Assemble Log – Raspberry Bottom: Repeat the sandwich and rolling but place raspberry dough on the bottom so raspberry is on the outside when rolled.
- Chill Dough Logs: Wrap each log tightly in parchment or plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Optionally freeze for up to a month.
- Slice and Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Remove dough logs from fridge, gently roll on the counter to smooth edges, and slice into 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick slices. Place cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake and Cool: Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Transfer baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining slices.
- Store: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make vibrant festive pinwheel cookies by rolling together two differently colored doughs.
- Freeze the rolled dough logs for up to one month for convenient slice-and-bake cookies anytime.
- If the dough is too hard to roll immediately after chilling, allow it to soften slightly at room temperature to ease rolling.
- Rolling between parchment paper prevents sticking and keeps dough smooth without additional flour.
- Ensure dough logs are well chilled before slicing to maintain clean, neat pinwheel shapes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- 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
