Cinnamon Pecan Pinwheels

Cinnamon Pinwheels

This year I participated in the International Blogger Holiday Cookie Recipe Exchange hosted by Lori at Fake Food Free. I was sent a Cinnamon Pinwheels recipe from Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy. This was my first time making pinwheel cookies, so I added a few things to jazz them up to my taste and style. My additions were additional raw sugar, additional Cinnamon, Molasses and Pecans. Really you can't go wrong with those kinds of ingredients over the holidays. Thanks to the original baker, Anne, for sharing her recipe with me.

Yield: About 3 Dozen Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Cup Butter, Room Temperature

• 3/4 cup + 4 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar, divided

• 2 Tsp Real Vanilla Extract

• 1 Egg

• 1 3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

• 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

• 2 Tbsp Cinnamon

• 3/4 Cup Pecans, finely ground

• 3 Tbsp Black Strap Molasses

• 1 Tbsp of milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In an electric mixer cream Butter, add in 3/4 Cup Raw Sugar and Vanilla and beat until smooth. Beat in Egg.

2. In a separate bowl whisk together Flour and Baking Powder. Gradually add Flour mixture to Creamed mixture and mix well. Remove one half of dough from mixer and set aside.

3. Add Cinnamon, Pecans and Molasses to remaining half of dough and mix until well blended.

4. Thoroughly dust waxed paper or a silicone mat with powdered sugar (or flour; less flour keeps appropriate gluten levels in cookies for texture, thus the reason I suggest sugar), also dust rolling pin with powdered sugar or flour. Work each 1/2 of dough with hands for about 30 seconds to soften and warm dough slightly and make it more pliable for rolling. Place both doughs on mat or waxed paper. Roll out each half of dough to a 12×10 rectangle.

5. Brush the white dough with Milk. Then sprinkle the milk coating with 4 Tbsp Raw Sugar. Place the Cinnamon dough layer on top, and roll them together like a jelly roll to create a spiral. Chill thoroughly, about an hour or so.

6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from fridge and slice into thin circles. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

7. The bottom will turn golden brown, but the tops will still look soft and slightly under-cooked. This will result in a perfectly baked cookie: slightly soft and chewy, but not hard and crispy.

8. Serve warm with a cool glass of milk or your favorite beverage (and leave some for Santa). Enjoy!