Cherry Pinwheel Slices

These cherry pinwheel slices are closer to a pastry than a typical cookie. A tender, flaky sour cream dough rolled around cherry pie filling, flaked coconut, and chopped pecans, then baked until golden and dusted liberally with powdered sugar. When you slice into the cooled roll, each piece reveals a beautiful spiral of fruit, nuts, and golden pastry.

The sour cream dough is the foundation that makes these special. Butter cut into flour with sour cream stirred in creates a pastry that’s rich, tangy, and incredibly flaky. It handles more like a pie crust than a cookie dough, which is why the 2 to 4 hour chill is non-negotiable. Cold dough rolls out cleanly and bakes into distinct, crispy layers. Warm dough turns into a sticky, frustrating mess.

Rolling each portion into a 12 by 6 inch rectangle and filling from the short side gives you a tight spiral with plenty of filling in each slice. The cherry pie filling provides moisture, sweetness, and fruity pockets, while the coconut and pecans add texture contrast against the tender pastry.

Pinching the seam tightly and baking seam-side down prevents the rolls from unraveling in the oven.

Kitchen Tips

• Cut the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs, not smooth paste. Those butter pieces create the flaky layers during baking
• Roll the dough on a well-floured surface. The sour cream makes it sticky, and extra flour on the work surface prevents tearing
• Dust with powdered sugar while the rolls are still warm so it melts slightly and clings to the surface
• Let the rolls cool completely before slicing or the filling squeezes out and the pastry compresses

Variations

• Use raspberry or strawberry pie filling instead of cherry for a different fruit center
• Swap coconut for toasted sliced almonds if coconut isn’t your thing
• Drizzle with a thin almond glaze (powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract) instead of dusting with sugar