Peanut Butter Pinwheel Cookies

These slice-and-bake peanut butter cookies hide a gorgeous chocolate swirl inside. Roll out the dough, spread on melted semi-sweet chocolate, roll it up like a jelly roll, chill, and slice into rounds that reveal a tight spiral of peanut butter and chocolate in every cookie.

The brown sugar in the dough gives a deeper, more caramel-like sweetness than white sugar, and it keeps the cookies soft rather than crispy. Creaming the shortening and peanut butter together creates a smooth, pliable dough that rolls out easily between wax paper without cracking.

Chilling the rolled log thoroughly is the most important step. If the dough is still soft when you slice, the pinwheel pattern smears and you lose that clean spiral. A couple hours in the fridge (or 30 minutes in the freezer) firms everything up for clean, sharp cuts.

Kitchen Tips

• Roll the dough between wax paper or plastic wrap to prevent sticking. Peel the top layer off before spreading the chocolate.
• Let the melted chocolate cool slightly before spreading. Too hot and it melts into the dough instead of staying as a distinct layer.
• Use a sharp, thin knife to slice the log. A sawing motion preserves the spiral better than pressing straight down.
• Pull from the oven when the bottom edges are just barely golden. They firm up as they cool and overbaking dries out the peanut butter flavor.

Variations

• Use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet for a sweeter, milder contrast.
• Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie before baking for a salty-sweet finish.
• Swap creamy peanut butter for almond butter or cashew butter for a different nut flavor profile.