Description
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with these delightful Pinwheel Cookies, featuring a tender buttery dough swirled with vibrant red and pink colors, topped with festive sprinkles for a sweet holiday treat that’s perfect for sharing or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Decorations
- Red and pink food coloring
- Valentine’s Day sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt until combined. In a separate bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter with white sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, mixing just until a dough forms. Divide the dough evenly into three portions.
- Color the dough: Leave one portion plain for the white part of the pinwheel. Add red food coloring to the second portion and pink food coloring to the third portion, kneading each until the color is uniform.
- Form dough layers: Roll out each colored dough portion into equal-sized rectangular sheets on parchment paper. Layer the dough sheets on top of each other, starting with white, then pink, then red, gently pressing to adhere without stretching.
- Create the pinwheel roll: Carefully roll the layered dough sheets into a tight log using the parchment paper to help maintain shape. Wrap the roll tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Slice and decorate: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the dough roll from the fridge and unwrap. Slice into 1/4-inch thick cookies using a sharp knife. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Lightly press Valentine’s Day sprinkles onto the top of each cookie for festive decoration.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Avoid overbaking to keep them tender.
- Cool and serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy as a sweet holiday treat or package them as gifts for Valentine’s Day.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened to room temperature for easier creaming and smoother dough.
- Use gel food coloring for more vibrant colors without thinning the dough.
- Chilling the dough roll before slicing helps maintain clean pinwheel shapes.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- For variation, try different color combinations or sprinkle designs to customize the cookies.
