Easy Pinwheel Cookies: Vanilla Swirl Christmas Cookies

Pinwheel cookies are my absolute favorite Christmas cookie because they left me with such wonder as a child.  I was always amazed at how the swirls got inside the cookies.  “How? Did? They?… {big child eyes full of amazement!}”

I’m still amazed by them, even though I’m fully aware that their magic begins between two pieces of wax paper -ha!

How I roll — yes, I’m a little cheezy.  You will learn this if you stick around (do stay!) — I like to roll my cookie on the long side because I make my cookies a little smaller for tiny hands to hold them. Plus, they aren’t as excited about eating one big cookie when they can have two smaller ones!  That said, if you like big, bakery sized, cookies start your roll on the short side and increase you baking time to fifteen minutes.

Vanilla Swirl Christmas Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 Sticks Butter
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 4 cups All Purpose Flour
• Food Coloring (Color of Your Choice)
• Plastic Wrap
• Wax Paper
• Rolling pin

Directions:

Combine baking powder and flour in a medium bowl, set aside.

Combine butter, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Incorporate dry ingredients slowly until fully combined.

Divide dough.  Wrap plain dough in plastic wrap and set aside. Add food coloring to the remaining dough.  Mix well until you reach the desired color. Wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap. Chill both for 10 minutes.

Prep your work area by tearing two pieces of wax paper (approximately 18 inches in length).  Set paper side by side. Flour the surface of each wax paper.  Flour your rolling pin.

Remove one dough ball from plastic wrap. Roll dough out onto one piece of floured wax paper. Repeat with the second dough ball.

Sandwich dough together. One atop of the other.  Remove top wax paper and trim the edges with a pastry or pizza cutter.

Roll dough tightly in a jellyroll fashion. Cover dough log wax paper or plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice the dough to create cookies (1-2 cm thick).

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

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