Peppermint Patties
Submitted by lnouel
Peppermint pinwheel cookies with mint extract, rolled into red and white (or green) spirals and sliced. A festive holiday cookie that’s all about the swirl.
YIELD
2 dozenPREP
20 minCOOK
10 minREADY
30 minThese peppermint pinwheel cookies look like they came from a bakery window, but the technique is simpler than it appears. One batch of mint-flavored dough gets split in half. One half stays white, the other gets tinted with red (or green) food coloring. Each pair rolls out into matching squares, stacks together, and gets rolled into a tight spiral log.
Slice the chilled log into rounds and you’ve got that classic candy cane swirl in every cookie. The mint extract gives them a cool, refreshing flavor that makes the whole kitchen smell like a peppermint stick.
These cookies don’t rise or brown in the oven, so don’t wait for color to pull them. Ten minutes is all they need. Overbaking turns them hard as pucks.
Kitchen Tips
- Chill the dough until firm before rolling. Soft dough sticks to the counter and tears when you try to stack the layers.
- Roll on floured wax paper. This lets you flip the dough cleanly onto the other color without stretching or tearing.
- Roll the jelly roll tightly. Loose rolls create air gaps in the center that show up as holes in every sliced cookie.
- Slice with a sharp, thin knife. A thick blade compresses the spiral. Gentle sawing keeps the swirl pattern intact.
- Watch the oven closely. These will not brown. They’re done at 10 minutes even though they still look pale.
Variations
- Chocolate mint pinwheels: Add cocoa powder to one half of the dough instead of food coloring for a chocolate-mint combination.
- Lemon swirl: Skip the mint extract and use lemon extract with yellow food coloring for a citrus version.
- Three-color holiday: Make a third portion with green food coloring and layer white, red, and green for a full Christmas palette.
Ingredients
Directions
Cream margarine; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
Add egg and extract, beating well.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture, beating just until blended.
Divide dough in half; add a few drops of red food coloring to one half, and knead until color is evenly distributed.
Leave the other half alone, or may color with green food coloring, doing the same as above.
Cover both halves and refrigerate until both halves are firm.
Divide each portion half into 2 halves again.
On floured wax paper, roll one white portion into an 8 inch square.
Do the same with a red portion.
Invert white dough onto red dough, and roll firmly into a tight jelly roll form, removing paper as you do so.
Do the same with the other 2 halves.
Cover and chill.
Cut dough into ¼ inch slices and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 10 minutes.
NOTES : These cookies will not raise when baked, and will not brown.
You must be very careful not to overcook, or the cookies will be very hard.
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