Description
Delightful peppermint pinwheel cookie pies blend festive winter flavors with classic holiday charm. Crisp swirled cookies offer sweet minty notes and elegant presentation for holiday gatherings you will savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (226 grams) powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups (157 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 oz (85 grams) softened cream cheese
- ½ cup (114 grams) softened butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp (15 milliliters) milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp peppermint extract
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- Red food coloring
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- Dough Preparation: Cream butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth, gradually adding sugar and beating until light. Mix in egg and vanilla extract, ensuring thorough incorporation.
- Dry Ingredients Blend: Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly integrate into butter mixture at low speed until uniform dough forms.
- Color Separation: Divide dough into two equal portions. Roll one portion into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle on floured parchment paper. Knead red food coloring into the second portion until uniformly colored, then roll into an identical rectangle.
- Layer Formation: Carefully stack uncolored dough atop the colored layer, removing top parchment paper. Slice lengthwise into two 12 x 4-inch rectangles.
- Rolling and Chilling: Tightly roll each rectangle from the long side using parchment paper as a guide. Wrap rolls in plastic and freeze for minimum 4 hours or up to one month.
- Baking Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice frozen dough into ¼-inch rounds, positioning 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.
- Baking and Cooling: Bake 6-7 minutes until slightly puffed and centers set. Rest cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.
- Frosting Creation: Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually blend powdered sugar at low speed. Add milk and peppermint extract, mixing until light and fluffy.
- Assembly and Serving: Pipe frosting onto half the cookies and sandwich with remaining cookies. Serve at room temperature or chill for 30 minutes. Store in a cool, dry place to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Chill Dough Strategically: Freezing the dough for at least 4 hours ensures clean, precise cuts and maintains the intricate pinwheel design without losing shape during baking.
- Color Consistency Matters: Knead food coloring thoroughly to achieve a uniform color throughout the dough, preventing streaks or uneven pigmentation.
- Precise Measuring is Key: Use exact measurements for ingredients and follow rolling dimensions carefully to create perfect pinwheel patterns and uniform cookie sizes.
- Spacing Prevents Spreading: Allow 2 inches between cookies on the baking sheet to prevent them from merging and maintain their individual shape and crisp edges.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg