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Holiday Pinwheel Cookies

Red, green and white swirled slice-and-bake cookies with vanilla and almond. They look like they came from a bakery, but they're so easy!
Print Recipe
Servings: 36 cookies (about)
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter 2 sticks, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • red and green gel food coloring

Equipment

  • 2 bowls
  • Parchment paper
  • Baking sheets
  • Wire rack

Method
 

  1. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and both extracts.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt; mix into the wet ingredients to form a dough.
  3. Divide the dough into thirds. Tint one portion red, one green, and leave one plain.
  4. Roll each portion into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick between sheets of parchment.
  5. Stack the layers (plain on the bottom, red in the middle, green on top), trimming to even rectangles. Starting from a long edge, roll tightly into a log. Wrap and chill 2 hours.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the log into 1/4-inch rounds and place on parchment-lined sheets.
  7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until just set (do not brown). Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then move to a rack.

Notes

  • Stack plain on the bottom, red in the middle, green on top.
  • Chill the log 2 hours before slicing.
  • Bake until just set; do not brown.