Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Classic Pinwheel Cookies - Raspberry or Chocolate

Pinwheel cookies have always been one of my favorite Christmas Cookies. They are attractive, colorful and I love the flavor. I recently found a recipe in one of my old cookbooks that is the best I have found, and branched out into making raspberry pinwheels for the first time! I may never go back to just chocolate again, although I will always make those, too. The chocolate one is much easier than the recipe I used to use, where you placed chocolate dough on top of a portion of plain dough to roll together to make the pinwheel design.

With this recipe, after you divide the dough into 4 parts, you use 2 portions to make the raspberry and 2 portions for the chocolate. A bit of variety and color on your cookie plate or for your bake exchange or sale. Plus you have the advantage of the refrigerated dough, where you can make them, chill them, and bake them when you have the time.

Pinwheel Cookies
Raspberry Pinwheel Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
COOKIE DOUGH
  • 1 c butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 c brown sugar (packed)
  • 1 c granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp vanilla
  • 3 ½ c all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
 Directions
  1.  Cream butter with the 2 sugars in a mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.
  2. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Divide dough into 4 parts. Roll each part ¼ inch thick into a  rectangular shape
  3. Spread with your choice of fillings, roll up (like a jellyroll) and chill overnight, wrapped in waxed paper or cling wrap.
  4. When ready, unwrap and slice ¼ inch thick and placed on greased cookie sheets.
  5. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8-10 minutes, until the bottoms are slightly golden and the cookies are “set.” Makes about 8 dozen.

FILLINGS

For Chocolate: (a nut-free recipe)

Spread ½ of the dough with 1 c MELTED semi-sweet or dark (I used dark) chocolate chips. Roll, wrap and chill. Let warm at room temperature slightly before slicing or chocolate may be too hard. Bake as directed.

For Raspberry: (has nuts in it)

Spread 1/2 of the dough with a mixture of 1 c raspberry jam, 1 c shredded coconut and ½ c finely chopped nuts. I used chopped hazelnuts but walnuts or pecans would be delicious, too. If you find the mixture too thick to spread, add a little additional jam until you can easily spread it on the dough.Roll, wrap and chill. Cut and bake as directed in recipe. 

Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

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