Description
Learn how to make classic pinwheel cookies with a delightful vanilla and chocolate swirl. This recipe features a soft, buttery base cookie dough that’s flavored with vanilla and cocoa powder, rolled into a beautiful pinwheel shape. These cookies are perfect for festive occasions or everyday treats and can be optionally dipped in melted chocolate for an extra touch of decadence.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Cookie Dough
- 2 and 2/3 cups (333g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Dough
- 2 Tablespoons (10g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
Optional for Dipping
- 6 ounces (170g) white, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate, finely chopped
- optional: sprinkles
Instructions
- Make the dough: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down and mix again if needed.
- Add dry ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be thick and sticky. Remove from the mixing bowl.
- Divide dough: Divide the dough in half (about 800-900g total). The smaller half will become the chocolate dough.
- Make chocolate dough: Place one half back in the mixing bowl. Add cocoa powder, milk, and optional espresso powder. Beat on low speed until combined.
- Shape & chill dough: On a lightly floured surface (use cocoa powder for the chocolate dough), form each dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle about 4x5 inches. Wrap both dough blocks in plastic wrap or parchment and refrigerate for 60-90 minutes until less sticky but still pliable. If chilling longer, allow to sit at room temperature 15-30 minutes before continuing.
- Roll out doughs: Roll the vanilla dough on lightly floured parchment to an 8x14-inch rectangle, about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Refrigerate the vanilla dough on the parchment while rolling the chocolate dough to a slightly smaller 8x14-inch rectangle dusted with flour or cocoa powder.
- Assemble the pinwheel: Peel chocolate dough off parchment and carefully place on top of chilled vanilla dough. Gently pat to remove air bubbles and patch any tears. Straighten edges with a pizza cutter or knife.
- Roll into log: Starting from a long side, tightly roll the two dough layers together using the parchment paper to assist. Patch any cracks in the vanilla dough as you roll. Cut the log in half to create two 7-inch-long logs.
- Chill again: Wrap each log in plastic wrap or parchment and refrigerate for 2 hours up to 4 days.
- Preheat oven and prepare pans: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Slice and bake: Slice each dough log into fourteen 1/2-inch-thick cookies. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheets. If dough softens, chill cookies on baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional chocolate dipping: Melt chopped chocolate in a double boiler or microwave, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth. Dip half of each cooled cookie into chocolate and add sprinkles if desired. Let set at room temperature or refrigerate.
Notes
- Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months; thaw overnight in refrigerator before serving.
- You can freeze unbaked pinwheel logs for up to 3 months and thaw overnight to bake later.
- Use gel food coloring to tint vanilla dough for colored pinwheels or add different flavor extracts as desired.
- Roll chilled dough logs in sprinkles or coarse sugar before slicing for a decorative touch.
- Use baking chocolate bars (like Bakers or Ghirardelli) for dipping chocolate; avoid chocolate chips as they don’t melt properly.
- Let dough logs sit at room temperature 15-30 minutes if too firm after chilling to make rolling easier.
- If cracks appear while rolling, patch dough gently with your fingers; perfect appearance is not necessary.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 130 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
