These Vanilla Chai Pinwheel Cookies feature 2 layers of vanilla and chai-spiced doughs swirled together in a hypnotizing spiral of simple sweetness and aromatic spice. Sparkling sugar edges add some extra crunch and glitzy texture.
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- Featured in the 2018 Holiday Cookies issue of Bake From Scratch magazine
- More of my Bake From Scratch Holiday Cookie Recipes
- The swirl is where it's @
- These Vanilla Chai Pinwheel Cookies are slice & bake cookies
- Swirling together vanilla and chai spiced dough
- More holiday cookie recipes from Baking the Goods
- Recipe
- Comments
I baked 8 batches of these Vanilla Chai Pinwheel Cookies during a heatwave in July to get this recipe just right. Then I made them 2 more times to get that perfect swirly center for the photos. It was hot and after the 6th batch. I wasn't feeling quite as holly jolly as I with the first 5 batches. But, I pressed on and endured the heat that comes with Christmas in July.
Then I made 2 more recipes for the magazine. These Cardamom Spiced Cookie Bars with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting & Hazelnut Linzer Cookies with Wine Jam. That had to be the most festive July of all time!
Featured in the 2018 Holiday Cookies issue of Bake From Scratch magazine
I knew these babies were going to print, so I was determined to get every little detail just right. The funny thing is, I'd never made a pinwheel cookie in my life and had no idea where to start. But the moment I thought of those vanilla and chai flavors swirling together into a single festive cookie, I was hypnotized.
More of my Bake From Scratch Holiday Cookie Recipes
The swirl is where it's @
I wouldn't say pinwheel cookies are the easiest cookie recipe out there. However, once you get the hang of the rolling and swirling, they are pretty simple to make. The swirl takes some practice. Especially if you are trying to get that picture perfect @ symbol in the center. But honestly, as long as you can roll cookie dough, you can swirl pinwheel cookies. And I've done all of the legwork to dial this recipe in just right, so you can make Vanilla Chai Pinwheel Cookies perfectly on your first try!
These Vanilla Chai Pinwheel Cookies are slice & bake cookies
The best part is, these are slice and bake cookies. Which means you can just slice off a few cookies at a time and bake them any time the mood strikes. Pretty great, right? The swirled cookie dog log can be stored in the freezer when tightly wrapped for up to 3 months.
Swirling together vanilla and chai spiced dough
These pinwheel cookies have two distinct layers. a layer of simple vanilla
cookie dough. A layer of vanilla & a layer of chai spiced cookie dough swirl together into 1 sweet & spicy cookie. The vanilla layer is simply scented with vanilla extract for that classic vanilla cookie flavor. The chai spiced
layer is made with nutty pecans, cinnamon
, cardamom
, ginger
, allspice
and a little sprinkle of white pepper
for extra warming qualities.
The vanilla and chai-spiced doughs are swirled together in a hypnotizing spiral of simple sweetness and aromatic spice. To finish, the edges are encrusted in sparkling sugar
for an extra crunch and glitzy texture.
While these holiday cookies were inspired by a Vanilla Chai Latte
, they taste pretty darn perfect with any hot cup of joe. Get to rolling, swirling and add a little spicy sparkle to your holidays with these Vanilla Chai Pinwheel Cookies. They are worth the roll, I promise.
More holiday cookie recipes from Baking the Goods
Recipe
Vanilla Chai Pinwheel Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 40 cookies
Description
Vanilla and chai-spiced doughs are swirled together in a hypnotizing spiral of simple sweetness and aromatic spice. Sparkling sugar edges add some extra crunch and beautiful texture.
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour, divided
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, divided
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ cup pecan halves
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened and divided
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, divided
- 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
- ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
- ¼ cup sparkling or turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1¼ cups (156 grams) flour, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking powder, ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt, allspice, and white pepper. Set aside.
- Arrange pecans on a baking sheet, and toast until they start to deepen in color, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to the work bowl of a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons flour mixture, and pulse until pecans are finely ground. (The flour will absorb the oils from the nuts and will prevent a nut butter from forming in the food processor.) Add pecan mixture to remaining flour mixture, whisking to combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat ½ cup (113 grams) butter and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add 1 egg (50 grams) and 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla, beating until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until combined. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- n the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat granulated sugar and remaining ½ cup (113 grams) butter at medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add 1 egg (50 grams) and remaining 1½ teaspoons (6 grams) vanilla, beating until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 1½ cups (188 grams) flour, remaining ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking powder, and remaining ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Let doughs stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll vanilla cookie dough into a 16x12-inch rectangle, ⅛ inch thick. Transfer dough on parchment to a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Repeat procedure with chai cookie dough.
- Transfer vanilla cookie dough on parchment to a flat surface. Carefully invert chai cookie dough on top of vanilla cookie dough. Between sheets of parchment, gently roll over doughs a few times to press together. Peel away top sheet of parchment.
- Starting at one long side, roll dough into a log, using bottom sheet of parchment to help lift and roll. (If dough cracks, stop rolling, and let stand for a few minutes until pliable.) Be sure to roll doughs together as tight as possible to avoid gaps. Tightly wrap in parchment paper, twisting ends to seal. Transfer to a baking sheet, seam side down. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or freeze until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk remaining 1 egg (50 grams). Brush log with egg wash, and sprinkle with sparkling or turbinado sugar. Roll back and forth a few times so sugar sticks to log. Using a sharp knife, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Place about 1 inch apart on prepared pans.
- Bake in upper and middle racks of oven until edges are just beginning to turn golden, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cool completely on pans. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Use 1 to 2 paper towel rolls sliced lengthwise to keep the dough log from flattening on one side.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Cookies
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