These classic pinwheel cookies with catch everyone’s attention. Gorgeous swirl cookies flavoured with vanilla and cocoa create a perfect festive treat. They are crunchy, very light and just enough sweet. Delicious and buttery, they come together quickly and easily.
This recipe for these classic pinwheel cookies is so easy that you can make them over and over again. Wink. The black & white pinwheel cookies look gorgeous. More, the beautiful swirl motive gives them a really fancy look.
The classic pinwheel cookies are very simple to make. All you have to do is roll out two doughs (one white, one black), put them together, roll them into a log and slice it like a salami. Wink.
I decided on a classic variation; vanilla and cocoa. Vanilla is a universal flavour that complements anything it is added to. Vanilla has a sweet, warming and rounded flavour, which pairs great with cocoa flavour.
I love making cookies during the Holiday season. In fact, I find winter time the perfect time for baking cookies. You might check these cookie recipes as well: chocolate crinkle cookies, these gorgeous Christmas sugar cookies or these classic Italian cantuccini.
Tips and tricks
The vanilla dough will result stickier and it will turn softer quicker than the one with cocoa. Therefore, after rolling it out, place it back in the fridge for a couple of minutes. Also, I found it easier (for the same reason), to roll it out by placing the dark dough on the bottom.
Both doughs should be rolled out into a same-sized square. Use a ruler to get the right size.
When rolling it up into a log, you can choose to start either from the short or from the long side. Starting from the short side means more swirl. And, logically, starting from the long side means less swirl.
Always keep the dough chilled. It will make the rolling out, rolling up and cutting way easier. And, your cookies will keep a nice shape.
These classic pinwheel cookies are easy to store. Placing them in an airtight cookie box will keep them fresh for a long time.
Ingredients for ca 30 classic pinwheel cookies:
- 150 g of butter (room temperature)
- 100 g sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 100 g egg (about 2 eggs)
- 300 g flour
- 1/2 tsp of baking powder
- 12 g cacao powder
To begin, place sugar, vanilla and soft butter in a larger bowl and beat until pale and fluffy. Then, mix in the eggs, one at a time.
Once is all well combined, fold in the sieved flour and baking powder until the batter comes nicely together. Prepare two pieces of transparent foil, divide the dough (it is going to be a bit sticky) and wrap one half into the foil, by forming a disc or a square. Place in the fridge to chill.
Furthermore, add the cocoa powder to the other half and mix well to combine. After the cocoa is evenly incorporated, transfer it to the second piece of transparent foil and wrap it up. Just like the vanilla dough, form it into a disc or square and place it in the fridge. Allow to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
When ready, roll out each dough into the same size square form. In order to prevent the dough from sticking, place it on a sheet of parchment paper, cover it with foil and then roll it out. Once the dough is 3 mm thick, place it back in the fridge.
Meanwhile, continue with the cocoa dough. Afterwards, take the vanilla dough and flip it onto the cocoa dough. Using the rolling pin, slightly roll over to make the two stick together and become one. Cover with foil and place, one more time, into the fridge for 15 minutes.
At this point, take the dough out of the oven, trim the edges (if necessary) and turn the short side facing you. Start rolling the two doughs into a log form. Wrap the log tightly into the plastic foil and put it into the freezer for 1 hour.
Afterwards, preheat the oven to 180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take the log out of the freezer, remove the foil (but keep it) and cut the log into 5 mm thick rounds. Lay the rounds onto the baking sheet, leaving some space in between them. Put them in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Keep the rest of the log in the fridge until the first cookies are baked.
Once the first batch is baked, continue with the remaining dough. Place the baked cookies onto a wire rack and allow them to chill.
Finally, serve these classic pinwheel cookies with a nice cup of hot coffee, chocolate or tea. They taste great for breakfast, too.
Enjoy and Merry Christmas.
