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Classic Holiday Pinwheel Cookies: Easy Slice and Bake Recipe

Close-up of four festive red, green, and white pinwheel cookies, coated in sparkling sugar, on a white plate.
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Make beautiful, buttery pinwheel cookies with festive red and green swirls. This slice and bake recipe is simple to prepare ahead for your next cookie exchange or holiday platter.

Ingredients

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  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Red food coloring (gel preferred)
  • Green food coloring (gel preferred)
  • Extra granulated sugar or nonpareils for rolling

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined to form a soft dough.
  3. Divide the dough evenly into three separate bowls. Leave one bowl plain (this will be white). Add red food coloring to the second bowl and green food coloring to the third bowl. Mix each until the color is uniform.
  4. On plastic wrap, form each colored dough portion into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Place the three colored dough rectangles side-by-side, pressing them gently together to adhere.
  5. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough block. Roll the combined dough into a tight log, about 2 inches in diameter. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to seal and chill the log in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or until firm.
  6. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Pour extra sugar or nonpareils onto a plate. Roll the chilled dough log in the sugar until fully coated.
  8. Slice the log into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Place the slices onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
  9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just set. Do not overbake; the centers should remain soft.
  10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • For best color saturation, use gel food coloring instead of liquid drops.
  • You can freeze the dough log, wrapped tightly, for up to three months. Slice and bake directly from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
  • For chocolate swirl cookies, replace 1/2 cup of flour in one portion of the dough with 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder.
  • These are excellent for holiday cookie exchanges because they slice and bake easily.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbycarla.com/pinwheel-cookies-recipe-easy-slice-and-bake/