Description
Celebrate Halloween with these vibrant Pinwheel Sugar Cookies featuring colorful spirals in classic spooky hues of orange, purple, and black. Buttery, tender, and beautifully swirled, these cookies combine fun gel food coloring with a simple, fluffy sugar cookie dough that’s sure to wow guests at any Halloween party or festive gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (substitute with gluten-free blend for gluten-free option)
- 1 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (swap with plant-based butter for vegan option)
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 large Egg (for vegan, use flaxseed egg: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 2.5 tbsp water)
Coloring
- 3 tbsp Gel Food Coloring (avoid liquid food coloring for more vibrant hues, suggested colors: orange, purple, black)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined to ensure proper leavening and seasoning in the dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate bowl, cream the unsalted butter with granulated sugar and powdered sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, creating a tender texture for the cookies.
- Add Egg and Combine: Add the egg to the creamed butter mixture, mixing thoroughly until fully incorporated to bind the ingredients together.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Divide and Color Dough: Divide the dough into three equal portions. Tint each portion separately with gel food coloring using your choice of vibrant Halloween colors like orange, purple, and black, kneading gently until the color is evenly distributed.
- Roll and Stack Dough Layers: On a lightly floured surface, roll each colored dough portion into rectangles about 1/4 inch thick. Stack the colored layers carefully on top of each other, pressing gently to adhere without mixing colors.
- Chill Dough Log: Wrap the stacked dough log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm up, or freeze for 30 minutes if short on time to make slicing easier.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking.
- Slice and Bake: Carefully slice the chilled dough log into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Arrange the slices evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, allowing flavors and texture to set.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring to achieve vibrant, bold colors without affecting dough texture.
- For vegan adaptation, substitute butter with plant-based butter and use a flaxseed egg instead of a regular egg.
- Chilling the dough before slicing is essential for clean pinwheel slices and easier handling.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- For gluten-free option, replace all-purpose flour with a gluten-free baking blend.
