patriotic pinwheel cookies

How To Make patriotic pinwheel cookies

• 1

  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder & salt.
• 2

  In stand mixer with paddle, beat the butter until smooth, 2 minutes. Add the sugar & continue beating until the mixture is light & fluffy, 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, add the vanilla.
• 3

  Turn the mixer off. Add the flour & then beat until combined. Remove the dough & separate it into 3 equal pieces. Shape 1 piece of the dough into a 4" x 4" square, wrap it securely in plastic wrap & place it in the fridge. (This will be the white portion of the cookies.)
• 4

  Return 1 of the remaining pieces of dough to the stand mixer bowl & with the mixer on "low," add in the red food coloring until it reaches your desired color. Remove the red dough, shape it into a 4" x 4" square, wrap it securely in plastic wrap & place it in the fridge. (This will be the red portion of the cookies). Clean out the bowl to remove any red food coloring residue.
• 5

  Add the final piece of dough to the stand mixer bowl, and with the mixer on "low," add in the blue food coloring until it reaches your desired color. Remove the blue dough, shape it into a 4" x 4" square, wrap it securely in plastic wrap & place it in the fridge. (This will be the blue portion of the cookies.)
• 6

  Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
• 7

  Remove the dough from the fridge & cut each square in 1/2 to form two rectangles. Wrap 1/2 of each color of dough in plastic wrap & return it to the fridge. Place the red dough in between two pieces of wax paper & roll it into a rectangle about 1/8" thick. Roll out the white dough between two separate pieces of wax paper until it is a rectangle about 1/8" thick. Roll out the blue dough between two separate pieces of wax paper until it is a rectangle about 1/8" thick.
• 8

  Peel the top layer of wax paper off of the red dough & then peel the wax paper off one side of the white dough & use the other side to transfer the white dough on top of the red dough. Peel off the wax paper from one side of the blue dough & use the other side to transfer it atop the white dough. Very lightly roll the three layers together.
• 9

  Starting at the shorter end of the rectangle, roll the dough as tightly as possible into a log. Repeat the rolling & stacking process with the remaining dough in the fridge. Wrap the logs in wax paper & then plastic wrap & refrigerate them for 1 hour.
• 10

  Remove the dough logs & roll them on the counter several times so they don't develop a flat side. Alternately, stand the rolls up in glasses in the fridge. Refrigerate the dough for 4 more hours.
• 11

  When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. & line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge & slice each log into 1/4" rounds. Place the rounds about 2" apart on the baking sheets, as the cookies will expand when baked.
• 12

  Bake the cookies for 9 - 11 minutes until pale golden & transfer them to a rack & cool completely.
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