Shortbread Pinwheel Cookies: Perfect for Every Holiday
Shortbread Pinwheel Cookies are one of my favorites. It is proof that mistakes can turn into wonderful opportunities.
At first, I was expecting the familiar, classic tastes of a sugar cookie, so when I pulled the pan from the oven, I could immediately tell something was off. Instead of the sweet, soft texture I was expecting, what I got was something that reminded me of the Danish Shortbread cookies that show up on the shelves during the holidays. I was in love.
So, stop drooling and get baking!
Today’s pinwheel cookies were created with a little help from our Cookie Month sponsors:
- Spatula, perfect for incorporating the butter, from GIR
- 100% Organic, Unbleached All-Purpose Flour from King Arthur Flour
- Vegetable Colorant Decorator Set, to add color to the pinwheels, from India Tree
Classic Pinwheel Cookie Recipe
It’s hard to resist homemade shortbread pinwheel cookies whenever they’re on the table. Soft and buttery, these treats are quick, easy to make, and perfect for any occasion. Whether you’re in need of a last-minute dessert for a gathering or want to satisfy your sweet tooth, this classic shortbread recipe is sure to do the trick.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour + an additional 2 tablespoons
- ⅔ cup of confectioner sugar
- ¼ cup of sugar
- 2 ½ sticks of unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- India Tree Natural Food Dyes
- India Tree Sugar Crystals or Nonpareils (optional)
Instructions
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugars in a large bowl. Add butter and mix until the batter resembles cornmeal. It’s easiest with a hand mixer on low or with a stand mixer. Add in the vanilla and continue mixing until the dough forms a ball.
Divide the dough in half and set one of the halves aside. Add the food coloring until you get the shade you want (it stays true to the dough color after baking) and an additional 1 tablespoon of flour. Use a silicone spatula to “squish” the color throughout the dough.
Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Roll out the dough balls separately between two sheets of wax paper. Aim for a rectangle shape about the size of a piece of paper and 1/4″ thick. It does not need to be perfect. Put both dough sheets in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours.
Remove the different colored doughs from the fridge and stack them so the rectangle’s long side faces you. Pinch the long end a bit and begin rolling. The dough may crack a bit when you’re rolling. Don’t worry! You can smooth it out with the heat of a finger, and when it cooks, no one will no. Roll all the way and smooth the raw edge to make a smooth “log.”
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight.
Pull your dough log from the fridge. Using a sharp knife, cut the raw edges. Slice your log into 1/4″ discs. Roll your slices into the decorators of your choice (I’ve successfully used nonpareils and sugar crystals).
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. Do you know the difference between a jelly pan/baking pan and a cookie sheet? You can find out in my post 8 Tricks for Extraordinary Cookies from Scratch You Need to Know.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the edges have just begun to set. Remove and let sit on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Classic Shortbread Pinwheel Cookies
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Ingredients
- 2 c. All-Purpose Flour
- ⅔ c. Confectioners Sugar
- ¼ c. Sugar
- 2 ½ sticks Butter unsalted, chilled & cubed
- 2 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp. Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp. Salt
- India Tree Natural Food Dyes
- India Tree Sugar Crystals or Nonpareils
Instructions
- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugars in a large bowl.
- Add butter and mix until the batter resembles cornmeal.
- Add in the vanilla and continue mixing until the dough starts to form a ball.
- Divide the dough in half and set one of the halves aside.
- Add the food coloring until you get the shade you want, as well as an additional 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Use a silicone spatula to “squish” the color throughout the dough.
- Repeat with the other half of the dough.
- Roll out the dough balls separately between two sheets of wax paper. Aim for a rectangle shape about the size of a piece of paper and 1/4″ thick.
- Put both dough sheets in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Remove the different colored doughs from the fridge and stack them so the long side of the rectangle is facing you.
- Pinch the long end a bit and begin rolling. The dough may crack a bit when you’re rolling. Don’t worry! Roll all the way and smooth the raw edge so it makes a smooth “log”.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Pull your dough log from the fridge. Using a sharp knife, cut the raw edges. Slice your log into 1/4″ discs.
- Roll your slices into the decorators of your choice.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges have just begun to set.
- Remove and let sit on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
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I used India Tree’s green and red dyes made from vegetable colorants to make these colors in my Pinwheel Cookies for Christmas. They colored beautifully, but I think I could have been more aggressive with the red. The fun thing about these cookies is that you can do them in any color you wish or try dying one-half and leaving the other plain. If you feel super adventurous, you could do three or more colors. Just remember to roll them thinner or consider a longer cooking time.
King Arthur’s Flour was as great as always. It has been my staple flour for years. The nice thing about using the same flour regularly is knowing how it will perform in recipes. It eliminates some of the fear of experimenting with recipes.
This classic pinwheel cookie recipe is a perfect go-to when you need a delicious and easy-to-make dessert. With the help of our sponsors, GIR, King Arthur Flour, and India Tree, I made the perfect shortbread pinwheel cookie for any special occasion. The beauty in this recipe is that you can mix and match colors and decorators to customize to your liking. So why not try your hand at baking a batch of these sweet pinwheel treats and enjoy the deliciousness of homemade cookies?
