pinwheel cookies

A fun, colorful, layered cookie, these homemade Red, White and Blue Pinwheel Cookies are chewy, crispy and fun for everyone!

Red, White and Blue Pinwheel Cookies

sugar

¾ butter

eggs

vanilla

all-purpose flour

baking powder

salt

Red and blue gel food coloring

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until smooth.

Add eggs and vanilla.

Beat until well-blended.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt, beat until dough forms.

Split the dough into three bowls. Add red food coloring to one until the desired color is reached. Repeat for the blue food coloring. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Roll blue dough out on a floured surface to form a 12-inch by 12-inch square.  Repeat with white dough and carefully place it on top of the blue.

Repeat with the red dough, carefully placing it on top of the white.

Gently roll the three colors of dough together into a large log. Using your hands, form the log if  needed. Refrigerate this for 15 minutes.

Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2-inch slices of the dough and place them on a baking sheet lined  with parchment paper at least 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

These buttery slice-and-bake pinwheel cookies are a delicious (and beautiful!) swirl of chocolate and vanilla, which start with 1 basic cookie dough. For best success, watch the video tutorial and read through the recipe and Notes before starting. I also have a troubleshooting section above.

How to Make Pinwheel Cookies

(333 grams) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

(230 grams; 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

(200 grams) granulated sugar

egg egg

vanilla extract

Tablespoons (10 grams) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder

Tablespoon (15 milliliters) milk

espresso powder

(170 grams) white, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate, finely chopped (see Note)

optional: sprinkles

Make the dough

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Dough will be thick and sticky. Remove from the mixing bowl—no need to rinse out the mixing bowl.

Divide the dough in half

You should have a little less than 2 lbs. of dough, or somewhere between 800–900g. Divide the dough in half. Note: It&#8217;s ok if the portions aren&#8217;t exactly half. If one half is slightly smaller, use that one for the chocolate dough.

Make the chocolate dough

Place half of the dough back into the mixing bowl. Add the cocoa powder, milk, and espresso powder (if using). Beat on low speed until dough is combined.

Shape &amp; chill for 60–90 minutes

The doughs are sticky, so just do your best in this step. Place both doughs on a lightly floured work surface. (Tip: I like to use cocoa powder as my &#8220;flour&#8221; for handling/rolling the chocolate dough.) With lightly floured hands, carefully form each dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle block, about 4&#215;5 inches in size. Wrap both dough blocks up in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 60–90 minutes. The *key* is to only refrigerate until the dough is less sticky, but still pliable enough to bend and shape. Chilling any longer will make it difficult to roll together. If you need to chill it for longer than 90 minutes, make sure you let it sit at room temperature for 15–30 minutes before continuing with the next step.

Roll out the doughs

Remove vanilla dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Keep chocolate dough in the refrigerator. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper. Note that I like to place the parchment paper on top of a silicone baking mat to prevent it from sliding all over the counter, or you can tape it down. (Do not roll the doughs directly on the counter because you may have a hard time lifting/transferring them.) Using a lightly floured rolling pin, begin rolling out the vanilla dough. Flip the dough every now and then between rolls to ensure it&#8217;s not sticking to the parchment. Roll out to an 8&#215;14-inch rectangle, and use your hands to ensure the sides are straight and smooth. The thickness will be between 1/8–1/4 inch. Set the dough aside, and it&#8217;s most helpful if you refrigerate the vanilla dough at this time. Pick up the vanilla dough using the parchment paper and place the whole thing in the refrigerator as you roll out the chocolate dough. Lightly dust another piece of parchment paper with flour or cocoa powder. Using a lightly floured (or cocoa powder-ed) rolling pin, roll the chocolate dough out to an 8&#215;14-inch rectangle, or very slightly smaller. Remove vanilla dough from the refrigerator. Carefully peel the chocolate dough off the parchment and do your best to line it up on top of the vanilla dough. Flatten the chocolate dough on top as best you can, gently patting it down to remove any air bubbles between the layers of doughs. Patch any torn chocolate dough pieces back together. And feel free to use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to straighten up any uneven edges.

Roll into a log

Starting with a long side, tightly roll the 2 doughs together, making sure there are no gaps between them. You can use the parchment paper under the vanilla dough to assist in rolling. Go slowly, and try to roll it as tightly as possible. You can kind of meld the doughs together with your fingers at the beginning to get the roll started. (You can see me do this in the video tutorial below.) If you notice bare or cracked spots of vanilla dough, which usually happens (don&#8217;t worry!), just patch it up with your fingers as you go. Doesn&#8217;t have to look perfect. Once you have your log of dough, cut it in half, so you have two 7-inch-long dough logs.

Chill for 2 more hours: 

Wrap each dough log in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 2 more hours and up to 4 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Slice and bake

Slice each log into 14 1/2-inch-thick cookies.  

Arrange cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets—expect these cookies to expand quite a bit in the oven. If the dough got a little soft from working with it, chill the cookies on the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 14–15 minutes or until very lightly browned around the edges.

Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Optional chocolate dipping

Coarsely chop the chocolate. Melt in a double boiler or the microwave. If using the microwave, stir every 20 seconds until it&#8217;s smooth. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the chocolate. Add sprinkles on top of chocolate, if desired. Allow chocolate to completely set at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for 1 week. Refrigerate cookies dipped in chocolate after a few days.

Loved it! Took me out of my comfort zone, and turned out really well despite the struggle with rolling the dough. Fun challenge! :)

Another fabulous Sally recipe. Fool proof and they turned out great. Will be making them again this Christmas.

This recipe was so delicious! I can’t wait to make it again with alternate flavors/colors or rolled in sprinkles.

These cookies came out amazing!
So buttery and delicious.
All the tips are super helpful.
Thank you!

Absolutely loved these cookies. Can’t wait to make variations with different flavorings etc. I’ll miss doing these challenges but hope to pick one from previous ones I’ve never made and continue the tradition. Thanks Sally for always providing excellent tips for all your recipes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g5liR02Fw4

This video shows the process of making pinwheel cookies from scratch. These mesmerizingly beautiful and delightfully soft pinwheel cookies come together by layering and rolling chocolate and vanilla cookie dough together. Chilling the dough is imperative. See full recipe.
 
Get the full recipe: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/pinwheel-cookies/

• Ask your recipe question or leave a review over on the recipe page.

#baking #recipes #pinwheelcookies

• More of Sally's baking recipes: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/

How to Make Pinwheel Cookies | Sally's Baking Recipes

Simple make-ahead slice and bake Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies...which are the best cookie to enjoy this holiday season! Every bite is buttery, sweet, cinnamon-y, and taste just like a cinnamon roll. So delicious!

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

unsalted butter (room temperature)

Tablespoons sugar

egg (room temperature)

all purpose flour

brown sugar (firmly packed)

cinnamon

Tablespoons all purpose flour

milk

Cream

Cream butter in small bowl with an electric mixer.

Add brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, flour, and vanilla.

Beat

Beat until well combined and creamy. Set aside.

Filling

In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.

Turn out

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment.

Roll

Spread

Spread filling over entire surface of dough.

Starting with the long side, roll up jellyroll-style.

Wrap

Wrap up in parchment, tucking ends under.

Refrigerate

Heat

When ready to bake, heat oven to 375 °F.

Line

Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

Slice

Place

Bake

Bake for 12 minutes, or until just starting to color around the edges.

Cookies

Combine

Drizzle

Icing

Halloween pinwheel cookies feature black &amp; orange swirls of color! Skip the spooky snacks and make cute swirl cookies this fall.

Halloween Pinwheel Cookies Recipe

unsalted butter (softened)

almond extract (or vanilla extract)

gel food coloring orange

Use an electric mixer to beat the white sugar and butter until they are light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl. Continue mixing until they are well combined.

Mix the flour with the salt and baking powder in a separate mixing bowl.

Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, one-third at a time. Mix well in between each addition until all the flour is combined.

Make the Cookie Dough

Take the cookie dough out of the mixing bowl and divide it in half.

To one half, add 1/4 teaspoon of orange gel food coloring. Knead until the piece is orange.

To the other half, add 1/4 teaspoon of black gel food coloring. Mix until well combined, and it is dark black.

Put the black dough on a piece of parchment paper and roll it out into a rectangle, about 9 x 15 inches in size. Take another piece of parchment paper and roll the orange dough into a 9 x 15-inch rectangle.

Keep the pieces on the parchment paper and place both orange and black dough in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Don't combine the two yet! You can stack them but keep parchment paper between the layers.

Add Color

Take the dough out and place the black rectangle on a cutting board. Lay the orange rectangle on top of the black one, this time with parchment paper facing up, so the two are layered. Carefully peel the parchment paper off the orange layer.

Trim the edges to make them even and form a rectangle. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.

Roll up the dough, starting at the short edge. Use the parchment paper to help you roll and exert gentle pressure as you go.

Wrap the roll of dough in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Refrigerate it for 2 hours before baking the cookies.

Make a Dough Log

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator, unwrap it and place it on a cutting board.

Slice the dough into 1/4 inch slices and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Use a sharp knife and rotate the dough log if it starts to get squished.

Bake for 10 minutes. Take the cookie sheets out of the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1-2 minutes. Then place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Bake the Cookies

Perfect for summer &amp; patriotic celebrations, these 4th of July cookies are simple pinwheel cookies, with a patriotic twist! These are awesome if you want to make stable desserts (i.e. don't melt in the heat), or take it easy on heavy ingredients, but still want an impressive dessert.

4th of July Cookies (Red White and Blue Pinwheel Cookies)

½ cups all purpose flour

butter, softened

Tablespoons milk

Red and blue food coloring

In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together

In a larger mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light

Add about ½ an ounce of Wilton no-taste red food coloring to one third, and 20-30 drops of liquid blue, or ¼ ounce of Wilton blue gel color to another third and stir them until well combined. In order to make the cookie dough truly red, you need to add quite a big of food coloring, so if the dough seems thinner than it was, go ahead and add 1-2 tablespoons more of flour. You need a dough that will roll out well.

Roll each third of dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper to aout ⅜ inch thick, and 8x12 inches

Lay one sheet on your work surface, and flip a second sheet on top, peeling off the parchment paper. Repeat with the third sheet.

Roll cookie dough as tightly as possible so there are no gaps between the layers, making a 12 (or so) inch long log

Use floss to cut ⅓-½ inch thick cookies. You can use a knife, but it will flatten the bottom side of the cookie.

Place cookies on a baking sheet, and bake about ten minutes, until cookies are set, but not browned.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/2XRIt5np.mp4

Red White & Blue Pinwheel Cookies.mp4

These jam pinwheel cookies have buttery dough with raspberry jam and nut rolled up inside. Slice, dip in sparkling sugar and bake!

Raspberry Pinwheel Cookies

flour

cream cheese

butter

raspberry jam

walnuts (finely chopped)

Combine the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.

Add the butter and cream cheese and process until a ball a dough forms. It will form fine crumbs first, and then as you continue to process it will clump together into a ball.

Chill the dough for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 14 x 12 inches. I cut the edges off my rectangle to make it straight.

Spread the jam on the dough, and then spread the walnuts on top.

Roll up from the long side and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Dip one side of each slice in coarse sugar.

Bake sugar side up for 15 - 20 minutes, until the cookies are lightly browned.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1603726528/j3zpeqswbmowudhj4x0g.mp4

Make these easy raspberry pinwheel cookies for Christmas this year! See how to roll out dough and cover with jam and nuts for cute raspberry swirl cookies.

No Who down in Who-ville can resist the mesmerizing swirls of Christmas Pinwheel Cookies rolled in nonpareil sprinkles for an extra festive touch! These swirly treats are sure to be the talk of your next cookie exchange!

Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

salted butter (softened to room temperature)

Red & green gel food coloring

Holiday colored nonpareils

Combine butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar in a mixer and beat well until light and fluffy.

Add in the eggs, vanilla, and any flavoring (if desired), scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.

Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Divide the dough into three even sized balls.

Return 1/3 of the dough to the mixing bowl and add a 5-10 drops of red gel food coloring, mixing well until the dough is evenly colored. Repeat with another 1/3 of the dough and the green food coloring.

Flatten each ball of dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill in the freezer for 20 minutes or in the fridge for 1 hour. 

Roll out each disc of dough, one at a time, on a piece of parchment paper to create rectangles that are roughly the same size and shape. Stack the thin layers of dough on top of each other with white in the middle and red and green on the top and bottom. Trim the long sides so that the edges are even. The shorter ends can be trimmed later after you roll the dough into a log.

Carefully roll the dough into a nice, tight log, using the bottom piece of parchment paper to lift the dough and help you roll it to avoid cracks. Then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours. 

Once the dough is chilled, roll in nonpareils on a baking sheet to coat the outside of each cookie. You really have to press the dough into the sprinkles to get them to stick and give good coverage. At this point, you can slice and bake the cookies, or wrap them up and store them in the fridge for up to 1 week to slice and bake as needed.

When ready to bake your pinwheel cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unwrap the roll of cookie dough and cut off the uneven ends. Then slice into 1/4-inch cookies using a sharp knife and space them 1-2 inches apart on the parchment paper.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until set, then cool completely on a wire rack.

I made these cookies for Christmas cookie boxes this past Christmas--they were an absolute hit!  My hubby and I love them too.

Well, these cookies look great. They only taste fair. A lot of work for just fair tasting cookies. I agree with the others. These will not be in my rotation next year unless I use a different recipe.

Bland flavor not worth all the effort! Festive, but just not worth the time!!

Totally agree with Penny. May need more flour.

These were unlike any cookie I made before. I did this for the December Challenge and as part of a cookie feast my cousins requested for our early Christmas party! Looked really cool!

This is the BEST &amp; ONLY recipe I will ever use for my Christmas Pinwheel cookies! It's going down in my recipe book. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!

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Top 7 pinwheel cookies recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

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The most viewed pinwheel cookies recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine