Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 3/4 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (stir into cup and level with a knife instead of scooping)
1/2 teaspoon fine salt (omit or reduce if the butter is salted)
Optional: 1/2 tsp almond extract.
DECORATING OPTION 1:
Red coarse sanding sugar, for decorating (Lots)
Green coarse sanding sugar, for decorating
18 to 20 yellow candy-coated chocolates, such as M&Ms
DECORATING OPTION 2:
2c confectioners sugar
2-3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp corn syrup
optional: 1/2 tsp orange extract flavoring
Red, Green, and Yellow food coloring (preferably 'gel' but liquid will also work)
3 small clean (new or only used for food painting) paintbrushes
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Directions: |
Directions:Beat the cream cheese, butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Mix in the almond extract if using.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour and salt until just combined. Divide the dough between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Flatten each into a 1/2-inch-thick disk and wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (If you refrigerate overnight, put out on the counter until somewhat softened and workable, 30 minutes to 1 hour.)
Preheat the oven to 350º. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with more flour as needed. Lay a ruler on the surface while you are working and aim for a shape a little larger than 6" x 12" OR 9" x 9" to make cutting easier. TIP: don't roll too thin, this will make dough easier to work with and less likely for tips to overcook.
Cut out 3-inch squares using a sharp paring knife or a 3-inch square cutter (you should be able to get 6 to 9 squares). TIP: The ruler on the rolling/cutting surface nearby will make this easier.
Lift the cutouts using an offset spatula and arrange 2 inches apart on one of the prepared baking sheets. Re-wrap and refrigerate the dough scraps while you shape the pinwheels.
Cut a 1 1/2-inch slit in all four corners of each dough square to form 8 points. TIP: Cut only half-way to the center to keep a sturdy 'base' in the center of the cookie to support all the petals. This will make the final cookie sturdier.
Fold over every other point and press into the center of the square. TIP: wet the corners with your fingers first to ensure the points adhere in the center and don't pop up when you cook them. Refrigerate the pan with the pinwheels while you make the leaves.
Cut enough leaves out of the scraps using a sharp paring knife or a leaf-shaped cutter, making 2 leaves for each pinwheel. TIP: Don't roll too thin. To quickly make a bunch of leaves: cut with a 1 1/2 " repeat wavy pattern, then cut the same pattern next to it, offset so the 'bulges' meet. Repeat across your rolled dough. This will give you a bunch of pointy leaves. Separate and reshape with your fingers as needed.
Arrange the leaves on the other prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush with water and sprinkle with green sanding sugar. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Lightly brush the pinwheels with water and sprinkle with red sanding sugar. Brush the end of 2 leaves and tuck underneath a pinwheel on opposite sides pressing in the middle to adhere the leaves.
Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the cookies are puffed and the edges are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Immediately press a chocolate candy in the center of each warm cookie. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with the remaining disk of dough, and any remaining scraps, to make more cookies.
DECORATING OPTION 2:
Create cookies as above, skipping the sanding sugar. Bake. Mix 2 c confectioners sugar, 1 Tbsp light corn syrup, 2 to 3 Tbsp milk or water, and orange extract if using. Separate into 3 small bowls (half in one bowl, a third in a second bowl, and 'a little' in the last bowl). Tint the largest bowl red (it will require a lot of food coloring, it is hard to make red vs pink). Tint the medium bowl green (green is a strong color, so it will require less food coloring to get a deep green). Tint the smallest bowl a deep yellow (once it is a bright yellow, stir just a little of the tinted red frosting in to make it more of a golden-yellow versus a lemon-yellow). Thin the red and green bowls with a little milk (1/2 tsp or less) to make it easier to paint but not runny. Leave the yellow very thick as-is.
Paint the leaves green, let dry for about an hour.
Paint the flower petals red. Let dry overnight (do not skip this, otherwise the paint colors will mix).
Dab yellow frosting in the middle. |
This recipe for Poinsettia Pinwheel Cookies is from