Spiced Cookie Wheels Food

CINNAMON PINWHEELS

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Remove half of the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Add the cinnamon extract, cocoa powder and food coloring to the remaining dough and beat until incorporated; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate both pieces of dough until firm, about 1 hour.
• Dust the dough with flour and roll out each piece on parchment paper into a 10-by-11-inch rectangle. Flip the red dough on top of the plain dough; remove the top piece of parchment and trim the edges. Sprinkle the ground cinnamon and sanding sugar on top. Starting from a short end, tightly roll up the dough, using the parchment to help; roll the log in sanding sugar. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Slice the log crosswise 1/4 inch thick; arrange the slices about 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until slightly puffed and lightly golden on the bottom, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool.

SPICED COOKIE WHEELS

Steps:

• Beat the butter and sugars together in a bowl until pale. Add the cream, egg yolk and zests, and mix together. Mix the flour with the spices, bicarb and a pinch of salt, then add to the butter mixture. Bring together with your hands. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hr.
• Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 2mm. Cut cookies out of the dough using a round cutter and press patterns into the rounds with the base of the glass.
• Put the almonds on a plate, brush the underside of the biscuits with milk and dunk into the almonds to coat. Put the biscuits almond-side down on the parchment. If the dough has softened, put in the fridge for 30 mins before baking. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Bake for 10-12 mins until golden brown, then leave to cool. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days. Recipe adapted from Let it Snow by Agnes Prus (£7.99, Hardie Grant). Photographs © Frauke Antholz.

PINWHEELS 3 WAYS

Steps:

• For the base spread and tortillas: Mix together the cream cheese and pesto until well combined. Lay out the spinach, whole wheat and jalapeno-Cheddar tortillas and divide the cream cheese mixture among them. Using a spoon or offset spatula, spread the mixture all the way to the edges of each tortilla.
• For the veggie pinwheels: Evenly distribute the spinach over the top of the base spread on the spinach tortillas. Arrange the artichokes, green olives and sun-dried tomatoes over the spinach. Roll up the tortillas tightly and individually wrap in plastic. Set aside.
• For the meaty pinwheels: Shingle the cheese, pepperoni, salami and capicola onto the base spread on the whole wheat tortillas, slightly favoring one side. Roll up the tortillas tightly and individually wrap in plastic. Set aside.
• For the spicy pinwheels: Divide the pepper jack between the jalapeno-Cheddar tortillas topped with the base spread. Divide the arugula, sliced peppers and chopped cherry peppers between the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas tightly and individually wrap in plastic. Refrigerate the rolled tortillas for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
• Unwrap and slice each tortilla into 1-inch segments/pinwheels. Arrange on a platter and serve.

PUMPKIN PIE PINWHEEL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together twice. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Combine egg, vanilla and almond extract and add to creamed mixture. Mix on medium speed until combined. Add sifted ingredients and mix only until combined; dough should be stiff.
• Roll dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper to a 12 by 9-inch rectangle, using 1 long sheet of parchment paper that is folded in half. Make sure that you roll out the dough evenly. Cut the edges off neatly with a bench scraper to even them. Place dough in the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Mix together the canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and 1/4 cup brown sugar for filling.
• Remove dough from freezer and peel back the top parchment paper. Thinly spread the pumpkin filling evenly over the dough. Don't spread too thickly; you should still be able to see the dough through the pumpkin slightly. If you don't use all of the filling, it is okay.
• Starting at 1 end, roll up the ends in the same manner as a cake roll. Make sure that you keep it tight and even. If the dough cracks slightly, simply rub it together with your fingers. Wrap the roll in the parchment paper, seam side down, and place back in the freezer until firm, about 1 hour.
• Slice cookies 1/4-inch thick and place onto a cookie sheet at least 1-inch apart. Sprinkle brown sugar on the tops of the cookies and rub it in with your fingers. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, just until the edges are turning brown.
• Serve cookies on a platter with a small bowl of whipped cream and nutmeg so that guests can make pumpkin pie pinwheel sandwiches. This makes it taste even more like pumpkin pie!

FESTIVE SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Sieve the flour, spices and salt together into a bowl and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add the honey and beaten egg. Stir to fully combine. Sift in the dry ingredients in a few batches. The mixture will be a bit stiff but still soft and not dry.
• Divide the dough into two batches and wrap the halves in cling film. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 3-4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line several large baking trays with greaseproof paper, or if they are non-stick simply butter them and set aside.
• Lightly flour the work surface, then roll out one half of the dough. Stamp out festive trees using a tree-shaped cutter. Lay on the baking sheets with spaces between them, then add on the smarties or other coloured beans.
• When you have stamped out enough to fill the tray, place in the oven and bake for 8 - 10 minutes. They want to be golden in colour but still fairly soft as they harden up a little after cooking. Repeat this process until all the mixture has been used up. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.