Holiday Pinwheel Cookies Food

HOLIDAY PINWHEEL COOKIES

Steps:

• Let cookie dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. On a floured surface, knead cookie dough and enough flour to make dough easy to handle., Divide dough in half. Roll one portion on a sheet of waxed paper into a 12x7-in. rectangle. Sprinkle with red sugar. Using waxed paper, roll up tightly jelly-roll style, starting with a short side, removing paper as you roll. Wrap in plastic. Repeat with remaining dough and green sugar. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 7-9 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

CHRISTMAS PINWHEEL COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a bowl. Resift again into another bowl.
• Beat the butter with the brown and white sugars in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until evenly blended. Gather the dough into a ball, and divide into two equal parts. Place one half in a second bowl. Add red food coloring to the dough in one bowl, and green food coloring to the dough in the other bowl. Use a fork or wooden spoon to blend the food coloring into the dough until evenly blended. Add additional drops of food coloring to make the desired shade.
• Roll out the red dough to 1/4 inch (5mm) thickness. Roll out the green dough to 1/4 inch (5mm) thickness, and place on top of the red dough. Beginning on one edge, roll the doughs to make a log so the two colors spiral inside each other. Wrap the log in waxed paper, then in a cotton towel, and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.
• Unwrap the dough log, and place on a clean, lightly floured surface. Slice the log into rounds 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick, and place on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until set, 5 to 6 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent edges from browning. Remove from oven, and cool on racks.

POINSETTIA PINWHEEL COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat the cream cheese, butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour and salt until combined. Divide the dough between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Flatten each into a 1/2-inch-thick disk and wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with more flour as needed.
• Cut out 3-inch squares using a sharp paring knife or a 3-inch square cutter (you should be able to get 6 or 7 squares). Lift the cutouts using an offset spatula and arrange 2 inches apart on one of the prepared baking sheets. Re-wrap and refrigerate the dough scraps while you shape the pinwheels.
• Cut a 1 1/2-inch slit in all four corners of each dough square to form 8 points. Fold over every other point and press into the center of the square. Refrigerate while you make the leaves.
• Cut enough leaves out of the scraps using a sharp paring knife or a leaf-shaped cutter, making 2 leaves for each pinwheel. Arrange the leaves on the other prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush with water and sprinkle with green sanding sugar. Set aside in the refrigerator.
• Lightly brush the pinwheels with water and sprinkle half with red sanding sugar and half with white sanding sugar. Brush the end of 2 leaves and tuck underneath a pinwheel on opposite sides. (No need to press the dough; it will meld together as it bakes.)
• Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the cookies are puffed and the edges are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Immediately press a chocolate candy in the center of each warm cookie. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Repeat with the remaining disk of dough, and any remaining scraps, to make more cookies.

DATE-FILLED PINWHEEL COOKIES

Steps:

• Filling: Mix dates water and sugar in saucepan bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until thickened and soft. Mix in 1 cup chopped nuts. (optional) Cool.
• Dough: In a food proscessor; Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs, process untill smooth and creamy.
• Sift flour, soda and salt. Add to sugar mixture in 3 batches, beat well between. Mix well, this dough will seem dry at first, knead it and it will soften.
• Divide into 3 equal parts. Cover to keep from drying out. Roll dough out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Try to make a neat rectangle. 8"X10" about ¼ " thick. Spread 1/3 of the filling onto the dough, edge to edge. Grab one side of the long end of the paper and lift to start the roll. Roll up the dough and wrap the roll in the paper you just used. Place on a cookie sheet to hold flat. Repeat with the rest of the dough/filling. Freeze. (Once they are frozen you can reclaim your cookie sheet)
• When you are ready to bake the cookies, remove 1 roll from the freezer at a time. This is a very soft cookie. You'll want to work fast. Slice frozen cookies 1/4 inch thick (they may or may not be round). Place on parchment covered cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake at 400* for 12 minutes. Watch closely, do not over bake. They should be light golden brown. Allow to cool before removing from paper and storing. Store in a tightly closed container in layers divided with waxed paper.