Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

I was drawn to this recipe because of the peppermint flavor and the cute red and white spiral cookies.  Getting those spirals to look as cute as they did in the magazine photo (below) was definitely a little tricky.  Mine didn’t turn out quite as cute as these, but they were tasty!  I think these taste best when chilled in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

from Southern Living, December 2008

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp red food coloring paste
• Peppermint Frosting (recipe below)

Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended, scraping bowl as needed.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

Divide dough into 2 equal portions.  Roll 1 portion of dough into a 12 x 8 inch rectangle on a piece of lightly floured plastic wrap.

Knead food coloring paste into remaining portion of dough while wearing rubber gloves.  Roll tinted dough into a 12 x 8 inch rectangle in a piece of lightly floured plastic wrap.  Invert untinted dough onto tinted dough; peel off plastic wrap.  Cut dough in half lengthwise, forming 2 (12 x 4 inch) rectangles.  Roll up each rectangle jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side, using bottom piece of plastic wrap as a guide.  Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze 4 hours or up to 1 month.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cut ends off each dough log, and discard.  Cut dough into 1/4 inch thick pieces, and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 6 to 7 minutes or until puffed and set; cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes.  Remove to wire racks and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Place Peppermint Frosting in a heavy duty zip-top plastic freezer bag.  Snip corner of bag to make a small hole.  Pipe about 2 tsp. frosting onto half of cookies; top with remaining cookies, gently pressing to form a sandwich.

Peppermint Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1/8 tsp peppermint extract (I doubled this amount for extra minty flavor)

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.  Increase speed to medium, and gradually add milk and peppermint extract, beating until smooth.