Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

christmas pinwheels cookies served on a plate.

5 from 2 votes

These Christmas Pinwheel Cookies will be the star of the holiday cookie swap! A favorite classic sugar cookie recipe dressed up in fun and festive colors!

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Chill Time2 30

Total Time3

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: Cookies

Calories: 112kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

1¼ cups granulated sugar
1 cup salted butter softened
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon red liquid food coloring

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment add the sugar, butter, vanilla extract. Beat the ingredients on medium until creamy, about 2 minutes.
1¼ cups granulated sugar, 1 cup salted butter, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Use a rubber spatula and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and continue mixing until combined.
1 large egg
Add the flour and baking powder and mix together on the low setting until no streaks of flour are visible.
3 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Divide the dough in half and remove half of it to a piece of parchment paper. Add the food coloring to the remaining dough in the stand mixer bowl and mix together on low speed until the color is uniform.
½ teaspoon red liquid food coloring
Divide each half in half so that you have 2 red and 2 dough colored pieces. Form each piece into its own separate rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
After the dough is finished chilling, remove one piece of dough and roll it out on a piece of parchment paper until it is roughly an 11x7 rectangle. Repeat with all pieces of dough. Trim the edges with a knife so you have straight lines.
Once all 4 pieces of dough are rolled out, carefully place one red piece on top of the dough colored piece. On the other two pieces, place the red on the bottom.
Carefully roll each rectangle into a long long. Wrap in plastic wrap and place back in the refrigerator for an additional 1-2 hours, or overnight.
When ready to bake these cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Remove 1 log from the refrigerator and carefully slice ¼-½ inch thick cookies, depending on how thick you want them.
Space cookies about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the cookies are barely starting to brown on the edges. (These cookies taste best if they are not overcooked so watch them carefully).
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat steps to finish cooking the remaining log of cookies.

Notes

Storage:

To Store: Cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
To Freeze: You can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Make sure to wrap them tightly and place them in a freezer safe container or storage bag to prevent freezer burn.

Tips:

These cookies taste best if they are not overcooked so watch them carefully. They are done baking when they are barely starting to brown on the edges.
The vibrancy of the red food color will depend upon how much you add to the dough. So, if you want a very vibrant color make sure to add a little bit extra! However, if you’re using gel food coloring, you won’t need nearly as much.
Feel free to add green food coloring to the second half of the cookie dough. Because after all, red and green are classic Christmas colors!
To help prevent sticking, you can roll the cookie dough out between two pieces of parchment paper. You can also sprinkle on some flour if needed.

Nutrition