Patriotic Pinwheel Cookies
Butter, sugar, flour, and a whole lot of food coloring. That’s basically it! These pinwheel cookies are the kind of thing that looks like you really went for it, red and blue swirls all the way through, festive on the plate, fun to eat.
I won’t pretend there’s no waiting around involved because the dough needs to chill, twice actually. But the hands-on part is easy and the payoff is so worth it.
A delicious, and let’s face it, awesome-looking dessert for the 4th of July or Memorial Day or whenever you feel like being festive!
Ingredients
You probably already have most of this at home. Gel food coloring is the one thing I’d really push you to get specifically, because liquid coloring can mess with how the dough turns out. Deep colors and no weird texture issues, that’s the whole reason!
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature (roughly 2½ sticks, or 300g)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Color and Finishing
- Red gel food coloring
- Blue gel food coloring
- Optional: coarse sugar or sprinkles for rolling the edges
How To Do It
Step: Mix Up the Base Dough
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and then just set it aside. Get your butter into the stand mixer, or use a hand mixer if that’s what you have. Beat it on medium until smooth, then slowly pour in the sugar and mix until it looks fluffy and a little pale, about two minutes.
Eggs go in one at a time, mix well after each one. Stir in the vanilla, then add the flour mixture on low speed in three parts, stopping as soon as it comes together. Overmixing makes the cookies tough so just don’t!
Step: Divide and Dye
Split the dough into three equal-ish parts as best you can. One piece stays plain for the white layer. Add red coloring to one and blue to the other, then knead each one until the color looks even all the way through. Your hands are going to get stained and that is just part of the deal honestly.
Step: Chill, Part One
Flatten each dough piece into a rough rectangle shape. Wrap each one up separately in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You want them firm but still a little flexible, not frozen solid. This makes the whole rolling and layering thing so much easier so please don’t skip it.
Step: Layer, Stack, and Roll Into a Log
Flour your surface lightly and roll each piece into a rectangle, try to get them close to the same size.
Red goes down first, then white in the middle, blue on top. Press gently so the layers stick together without blending the colors into each other.
Roll it up from one of the short ends, nice and tight, into a log shape. Wrap it back up and refrigerate for at least two hours, overnight is even better.
The longer it chills the cleaner the swirls look when you cut it, trust me on this one.
Step: Slice and Bake
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment. Slice the cold log into rounds about a quarter inch thick.
Rolling the edges in coarse sugar or sprinkles before putting them on the pan is optional but really cute. Leave a little space between each cookie on the sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, the edges should look set but the middles will still seem soft and that is totally fine.
Step: Cool and Store
Leave them on the pan for a few minutes before you move them because they are fragile when hot.
Transfer to a wire rack and let them cool all the way. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and they should be good for up to four days, but they usually disappear way before that!
Patriotic Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1⅓ cups unsalted butter room temperature (about 2½ sticks / 300 g)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar 300 g
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Red gel food coloring
- Blue gel food coloring
- Optional: coarse sugar or sprinkles for rolling
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and continue mixing until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing just until combined.
- Divide the dough evenly into three bowls. Leave one portion plain for the white layer. Tint one portion red and the other blue using gel food coloring, kneading gently until the color is evenly distributed.
- Shape each portion into a flat rectangle. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm but still pliable.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough portion into a rectangle of similar size. Stack the red layer on top of the white layer, then place the blue layer on top. Press gently so the layers adhere without blending the colors.
- Starting from a short edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to keep the pinwheels sharp.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice the chilled dough log into ¼-inch thick rounds. If desired, roll the edges in coarse sugar or sprinkles. Arrange cookies on the baking sheet with space between them.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers remain soft.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
