Christmas Pinwheel Sugar Cookies
These slice-and-bake sugar cookies get their red-and-green spiral from two layers of homemade dough rolled into a log. Chilling the log makes it easier to cut neat rounds and helps the cookies hold their shape in the oven. The finished cookies have a clean two-color design, with no white layer or coating.
Add gel coloring gradually to keep the dough workable, especially when coloring it red. For the planned ⅜-inch slices, start checking at 9 minutes: the tops should look matte and the edges should be set, with little browning.
Ingredients for Christmas Pinwheel Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (225g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (360g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- Red gel food coloring, starting with ¼ teaspoon
- Green gel food coloring, starting with ¼ teaspoon
Gel coloring adds less liquid than regular food coloring. Add it a little at a time until each portion is evenly colored; too much can soften the dough, and excess red coloring may taste bitter.
How to Make Christmas Pinwheel Sugar Cookies
- Make the dough: Beat the softened butter and sugar until creamy. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing just until the flour is incorporated and the dough holds together.
- Color the dough: Divide it into two equal portions. Knead red gel coloring into one portion and green into the other, adding a little at a time until each color is even. If the dough becomes soft, chill it briefly before rolling.
- Layer and roll: Roll each color between sheets of parchment into a rectangle about 8 by 10 inches and roughly ⅛ inch thick. Stack the dough rectangles, aligning the edges and smoothing out large air pockets. Starting at an 8-inch edge, roll the layers snugly across the longer dimension into a compact log.
- Chill the log: Wrap it in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until firm enough to slice cleanly. Chill longer if the center still feels soft. The log should hold its round shape when gently pressed but should not be frozen or brittle.
- Slice the cookies: Fully preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) while the log stays refrigerated. Cut it into rounds about ⅜ inch thick with a sharp knife and a decisive motion rather than sawing. Arrange the cold slices about 2 inches apart on a cool, parchment-lined baking sheet. If they soften or flatten, refrigerate them again before baking.
- Bake until set: Bake one sheet at a time for about 9 to 12 minutes, checking at 9 minutes. The tops should look matte rather than shiny, and the edges should be set; the bottoms may be lightly colored. Remove the cookies before they brown deeply.
- Cool before moving: Let the cookies firm on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Keep the remaining log or unbaked slices refrigerated between batches, and use a cool baking sheet for each batch.
How to Keep the Pinwheel Neat
Roll both colors to similar sizes and thicknesses so the spiral stays even. If the dough turns tacky while you work, chill it briefly and continue rolling between parchment. If it remains unusually sticky, add flour sparingly rather than making the dough dry.
A soft log can stretch or smear when sliced. Re-chill it if it starts to lose its round shape, then cut with a sharp knife.
How Slice Thickness Affects Baking
The 9-to-12-minute window is a guide for slices about ⅜ inch thick. Thicker or thinner rounds may need a different amount of time, and ovens vary. Use the set tops and firm edges as your final cues rather than waiting for deep browning.
Serving Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
Arrange the fully cooled cookies on a holiday dessert tray or pack them in a cookie-exchange box. For another cookie on the tray, add Christmas Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.
How to Store and Make Ahead
Cool the baked cookies completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. For best freshness, plan to use them within about 4 days to a week.
You can prepare and refrigerate the wrapped dough log ahead, then slice and bake it when ready. For longer storage, freeze the wrapped log for about 2 to 3 months; thaw it in the refrigerator until firm but sliceable. Fully cooled baked cookies can also be frozen airtight for up to 2 months. Thaw before serving.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per cookie, based on 22 cookies: 175 calories, 2g protein, 9g fat, and 22g carbohydrates. Approximate nutrition per 100g: 450 calories, 5g protein, 23g fat, and 56g carbohydrates. Values vary with cookie size and yield.
Christmas Pinwheel Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- Rolling pin
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- Sharp knife
- Baking sheets
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (225g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (360g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
For Coloring
- Red gel food coloring, starting with 1/4 teaspoon
- Green gel food coloring, starting with 1/4 teaspoon
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter and sugar until creamy.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until the flour is incorporated and the dough holds together.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions. Knead red coloring into one portion and green coloring into the other, adding a little at a time until evenly colored.
- Roll each portion between parchment sheets into an approximately 8-by-10-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick.
- Stack the rectangles, align the edges, and smooth out large air pockets. Starting at an 8-inch edge, roll the layers snugly across the longer dimension into a compact log.
- Wrap the log and refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until firm enough to slice cleanly.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Slice the cold log into rounds about 3/8 inch thick with a sharp knife.
- Arrange the slices about 2 inches apart on a cool, parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate them again if they soften or flatten.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 12 minutes, checking at 9 minutes. Remove the cookies when the tops look matte and the edges are set, before they brown deeply.
- Let the cookies firm on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Keep the remaining dough or slices refrigerated between batches.
Tips
- Add gel coloring gradually to avoid softening the dough; excess red coloring can taste bitter.
- Roll both colors to similar sizes and thicknesses for an even spiral.
- If the dough becomes tacky or soft, chill it briefly before continuing.
- Re-chill the log if it loses its round shape, and slice with a sharp knife using a decisive motion.
- Use a cool baking sheet for each batch and judge doneness by set edges and matte tops rather than deep browning.