Introduction
Oh, the holidays! Does anything bring back those cozy memories quite like the smell of freshly baked cookies? I’m talking about those classic, comforting scents that fill your home and make you feel like a kid again. Today, we’re diving into a recipe that’s not just a treat for your taste buds, but a feast for your eyes too: Christmas Pinwheel Cookies! These beauties are as fun to make as they are to eat, and they’re guaranteed to bring a little extra sparkle to your holiday season. Get ready to create some edible magic!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fast: Whip these up surprisingly quickly, leaving you more time for carols and cocoa!
- Easy: Simple steps mean even beginners can create stunning cookies.
- Giftable: Package them up in a pretty tin or cellophane bag for the perfect homemade holiday present.
- Crowd-pleasing: Who can resist a colorful, festive cookie? Everyone will adore these!
Ingredients
Let’s gather up everything we need. Don’t worry, it’s all pretty standard pantry stuff, with a couple of festive extras!
- 3 cups all-purpose flour: The backbone of our cookies, keeping everything together.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder: This little helper gives our cookies a nice, slight lift.
- ½ teaspoon salt: Just a pinch to balance all the sweetness and bring out the flavors.
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature: Make sure your butter is soft and spreadable – this is key for a creamy dough!
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar: For that perfect sweetness we all crave.
- 1 large egg, at room temperature: Helps bind everything together and adds richness.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract: The quintessential holiday flavor!
- Red food coloring: For that vibrant Christmas red!
- Green food coloring: To create that festive Christmas green!
- 1 cup sprinkles: The more, the merrier! These add a fun crunch and extra sparkle.
How to Make It
Alright, let’s get our hands a little floured and make some magic happen! This process is so satisfying as you watch the colors come together.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients: Grab a medium bowl and whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt. This ensures everything is evenly distributed, so no one gets a surprise salty bite!
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a larger bowl, let’s cream together that softened butter and granulated sugar. You want to beat them until they’re light and fluffy. I like to use my stand mixer for this, but a hand mixer or even some good old-fashioned elbow grease works too!
- Add Wet Ingredients: Now, beat in your egg and that lovely vanilla extract until everything is nicely combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add your dry ingredients (from step 1) to your wet ingredients. Mix until it just comes together to form a dough. Don’t overmix at this stage – we want tender cookies!
- Divide and Conquer (and Color!): Now for the fun part! Divide your dough right in half. Take one half and knead in some red food coloring until it’s a beautiful, even red. Do the same with the other half, adding green food coloring. Knead until that color is fully incorporated – it’s like little holiday paintings!
- Roll ‘Em Out: On a lightly floured surface, take each colored dough ball and roll it into a rectangle. Aim for about 12 inches by 8 inches for each. Try to get them as even as possible so your pinwheels are nice and neat.
- Sprinkle Power: Generously and evenly sprinkle your sprinkles over the surface of BOTH dough rectangles. Don’t be shy – they’re festive!
- Stack ‘Em Up: Carefully, and I mean carefully, stack the green dough rectangle right on top of the red dough rectangle. Line up those edges as best you can.
- Roll ‘Em Tight: Starting from one of the long sides, begin to tightly roll up the stacked dough into a log. The tighter you roll, the more defined your pinwheel swirls will be.
- Chill Out: Wrap that beautiful dough log tightly in plastic wrap. Pop it into the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or until it’s firm enough to slice. This chilling step is super important for clean cuts!
- Preheat and Prep: Once your dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper – this is my secret to easy cleanup and no sticking!
- Slice Your Logs: Unwrap your chilled dough log and use a sharp knife to slice it into ¼-inch thick rounds. If the dough feels too soft to slice cleanly, just pop it back in the fridge for another 15-20 minutes.
- Arrange for Baking: Place your cookie rounds onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave about 2 inches between them, as they’ll spread just a little while baking.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn a lovely, light golden brown. Keep an eye on them, as ovens can vary!
- Cool Down: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes. This helps them set up. Then, gently transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Admire your beautiful pinwheels!
Substitutions & Additions
Feeling a little adventurous? Here are some ways you can make these cookies your own!
- Different Sprinkles: Instead of classic rainbow sprinkles, try holiday-themed ones (stars, jimmies, sanding sugar in red and green).
- Citrus Zest: Add a teaspoon of orange or lemon zest to the dough for a little zing.
- Cocoa Swirl: Replace ¼ cup of the flour in one half of the dough with unsweetened cocoa powder for a chocolate-vanilla swirl effect.
- Nutty Crunch: Gently press some chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts) onto the dough rectangles before rolling for a little extra texture.
- Edible Glitter: A light dusting of edible glitter after baking can add an extra magical shimmer!
Tips for Success
A few little tricks up my sleeve to ensure your cookies turn out perfectly every time.
- Room Temperature is Key: Make sure your butter and egg are truly at room temperature. This helps the dough emulsify properly and results in a better texture.
- Don’t Overwork the Dough: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix only until just combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
- Chill Thoroughly: Don’t rush the chilling step! A well-chilled dough is much easier to handle and slice cleanly, giving you those beautiful pinwheel patterns.
- Even Rolling: Try to roll your dough rectangles to a similar thickness. This ensures they bake evenly.
- Prep Ahead: You can make the dough logs a day or two in advance and keep them chilled in the fridge, or even freeze them! Just slice and bake when you’re ready.
How to Store It
These festive beauties will stay delicious for a good while if stored properly.
- Once completely cooled, store your Christmas Pinwheel Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
- They should stay fresh and delicious for about 5-7 days.
- If you have a lot, you can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Just make sure they are fully cooled before freezing.
FAQs
Got a question? I’ve got an answer!
Q: My dough is too sticky to roll. What should I do?
A: If your dough feels too sticky, it might need a little more chilling. You can also try lightly dusting your work surface and rolling pin with a bit more flour, but be careful not to add too much or your cookies might be dry.
Q: Can I use gel food coloring instead of liquid?
A: Yes, absolutely! Gel food coloring is often more vibrant and requires less to achieve the desired color. Start with a tiny bit and add more until you reach your perfect festive hue.
Q: My pinwheels are spreading too much while baking. Why?
A: This usually happens if the dough wasn’t chilled long enough, or if your oven temperature is too low. Make sure your oven is accurately preheated and that your dough log was firm when you sliced it.
Festive Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
Easy and adorable holiday treats that are fun to make and delicious to eat, perfect for gifting or enjoying during the festive season.
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Large bowl
- Stand Mixer or hand mixer or by hand
- Plastic wrap
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Sharp knife
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour The backbone of our cookies, keeping everything together.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder This little helper gives our cookies a nice, slight lift.
- 0.5 teaspoon salt Just a pinch to balance all the sweetness and bring out the flavors.
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, Make sure your butter is soft and spreadable – this is key for a creamy dough!
- 1.25 cups granulated sugar For that perfect sweetness we all crave.
- 1 large egg at room temperature, Helps bind everything together and adds richness.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract The quintessential holiday flavor!
- red food coloring For that vibrant Christmas red!
- green food coloring To create that festive Christmas green!
- 1 cup sprinkles The more, the merrier! These add a fun crunch and extra sparkle.
Instructions
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients: Grab a medium bowl and whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt. This ensures everything is evenly distributed, so no one gets a surprise salty bite!
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a larger bowl, let's cream together that softened butter and granulated sugar. You want to beat them until they're light and fluffy. I like to use my stand mixer for this, but a hand mixer or even some good old-fashioned elbow grease works too!
- Add Wet Ingredients: Now, beat in your egg and that lovely vanilla extract until everything is nicely combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add your dry ingredients (from step 1) to your wet ingredients. Mix until it just comes together to form a dough. Don't overmix at this stage – we want tender cookies!
- Divide and Conquer (and Color!): Now for the fun part! Divide your dough right in half. Take one half and knead in some red food coloring until it's a beautiful, even red. Do the same with the other half, adding green food coloring. Knead until that color is fully incorporated – it’s like little holiday paintings!
- Roll 'Em Out: On a lightly floured surface, take each colored dough ball and roll it into a rectangle. Aim for about 12 inches by 8 inches for each. Try to get them as even as possible so your pinwheels are nice and neat.
- Sprinkle Power: Generously and evenly sprinkle your sprinkles over the surface of BOTH dough rectangles. Don't be shy – they're festive!
- Stack 'Em Up: Carefully, and I mean carefully, stack the green dough rectangle right on top of the red dough rectangle. Line up those edges as best you can.
- Roll 'Em Tight: Starting from one of the long sides, begin to tightly roll up the stacked dough into a log. The tighter you roll, the more defined your pinwheel swirls will be.
- Chill Out: Wrap that beautiful dough log tightly in plastic wrap. Pop it into the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or until it's firm enough to slice. This chilling step is super important for clean cuts!
- Preheat and Prep: Once your dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper – this is my secret to easy cleanup and no sticking!
- Slice Your Logs: Unwrap your chilled dough log and use a sharp knife to slice it into ¼-inch thick rounds. If the dough feels too soft to slice cleanly, just pop it back in the fridge for another 15-20 minutes.
- Arrange for Baking: Place your cookie rounds onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave about 2 inches between them, as they'll spread just a little while baking.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn a lovely, light golden brown. Keep an eye on them, as ovens can vary!
- Cool Down: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes. This helps them set up. Then, gently transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Admire your beautiful pinwheels!
Notes
Room Temperature is Key: Make sure your butter and egg are truly at room temperature. This helps the dough emulsify properly and results in a better texture. Don't Overwork the Dough: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix only until just combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies. Chill Thoroughly: Don't rush the chilling step! A well-chilled dough is much easier to handle and slice cleanly, giving you those beautiful pinwheel patterns. Even Rolling: Try to roll your dough rectangles to a similar thickness. This ensures they bake evenly. Prep Ahead: You can make the dough logs a day or two in advance and keep them chilled in the fridge, or even freeze them! Just slice and bake when you're ready. Store your Christmas Pinwheel Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days. Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.