She Strengthens

Holiday Cookie Magic: Pinwheel Cookies that Shine

These stunning icebox pinwheel cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday spread or gift-giving list. With their vibrant red and green hues, they’re sure to bring joy to all who lay eyes on them.

The Secret to Perfect Portions

To achieve uniform cookies, consider using a kitchen scale to measure out equal portions of dough before coloring. The intensity of your red and green dough will depend on the type and amount of food coloring used.

A Recipe for Success

Elisabet der Nederlanden’s recipe yields 45 cookies with a medium level of difficulty. For more visually appealing baked goods, try our Checkerboard Cookies and Linzer Sablés recipes.

Gather Your Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Red and green gel food coloring
• Red or green coarse decorating sugar, for decorating

Let the Magic Begin

1. Prep the Dough: Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl, then whisk in salt. In a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar, beating until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla.
2. Divide and Conquer: Divide dough into three equal portions. Shape one portion into a 4 by 6-inch rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining portions, adding red and green gel food coloring, respectively.

The Pinwheel Process

1. Roll Out the Dough: Roll out each colored dough rectangle into an 11 by 7-inch rectangle.
2. Stack and Compress: Stack rectangles on top of each other, starting with the white dough as the base. Run a rolling pin over the stack to compress it.
3. Trim and Roll: Trim the stack to create a perfect rectangle, then roll it up tightly to form a log. Coat the log in coarse sugar and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Bake to Perfection

1. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Slice and Bake: Cut the log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange 15 slices on each prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, switching baking sheets halfway through.

The Final Touch

Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes. Then, carefully transfer them to racks to cool completely before serving. Your holiday pinwheel cookies are now ready to shine!