Holiday cookie recipe: Peppermint pinwheels

Peppermint pinwheel cookies are simple, festive and easy to make. If you’re still looking for holiday cookie ideas, check out these pinwheels from Shauna Cruz of Vallejo, a finalist one year in our L.A. Times Holiday Cookie Bake-Off. (The recipe was originally published in Taste of Home magazine.) She writes:

“Four years ago, my roommates and I started the ‘Annual Christmas Cookie Sweatshop’ party for our friends and family, and I make over 1,000 cookies for them to eat and decorate (hence the “sweatshop”). Every year, there is high demand for the peppermint pinwheels!”

PEPPERMINT PINWHEELS

Total time: 50 minutes, plus chilling time | Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Note: Submitted by Shauna Cruz of Vallejo, Calif., originally published in Taste of Home magazine.

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 teaspoon red liquid food coloring

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until thoroughly combined.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, or stir in the flour mixture by hand until evenly combined to form a dough.

3. Divide the dough in half, and add the food coloring and peppermint extract to one of the halves.

4. On a large work surface, roll each portion of dough between wax paper into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Remove the wax paper and place the red rectangle over the plain one, then roll up the dough lengthwise jelly-roll style. Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or until firm.

5. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the roll and cut it into one-fourth-inch-thick slices. Place the slices 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake until set, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool 2 minutes before removing the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Each of 4 dozen cookies 58 calories; 1 gram protein; 7 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 3 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 12 mg cholesterol; 3 grams sugar; 30 mg sodium.

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