Cherry Pinwheel Cookies

Total Time Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling
Yield about 5 dozen
Test Kitchen Approved
A crisp, light textured cookie with a mild cherry flavor will add great color to your holiday cookie tray.—Jenn Reagan, Maple Valley, Washington

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cherry extract or cherry brandy
  • Red paste food coloring
  • 1/4 cup ground almonds
  • Coarse sugar

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour.
  2. Divide dough in half. Add cherry extract to 1 half and tint red. Knead almonds into remaining half. Wrap each half; refrigerate at least 3 hours or until firm enough to roll.
  3. On a baking sheet, roll each portion between 2 sheets of waxed paper into a 15x8-in. rectangle. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
  4. Remove waxed paper. Place almond rectangle on top of cherry rectangle. Roll up tightly jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Roll in coarse sugar; wrap securely. Refrigerate 2 hours or until roll is firm.
  5. Preheat oven to 375°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight containers.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 105 calories, 5g fat (3g saturated fat), 18mg cholesterol, 67mg sodium, 13g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.

A crisp, light textured cookie with a mild cherry flavor will add great color to your holiday cookie tray.—Jenn Reagan, Maple Valley, Washington
Recipe Creator

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