PINWHEEL COOKIES

Don't sweat the small stuff. Do it now. Not tomorrow, not yesterday. Do it now. Just do it. Throw down the glove, take up the gauntlet.

Yes I did all of that except that I did sweat the small stuff.

Because I simply cannot resist pretty things especially when they are swirly and coy like these little cookies. And because I have 5 resident cookie monsters salivating all over the floor, the sofas, the table, the napkins, the keyboard, me. And because there is a wonderful grandma story behind these cookies too. Here at Disgruntled Julie. But I wouldn't have found it if not for La Table de Nana.


So it was a good thing that yesterday was a day blessed with beautiful weather. A cool breeze wafted through the kitchen door, caressed me, hugged me then floated out the front doors but not before leaving her wonderful softness draped around the house. Yesterday is a day that I will remember for a pleasant day of baking and for the winsome sweetness that these pretty pinwheel cookies brought into our lives even if it lasted for just one day. I'll just have to make more and hope for more Breezy days like yesterday.

These cookies can be quite a challenge though because the dough is a soft dough that is not as firm as a cut out cookie dough. It requires chilling and freezing and rolling and layering and rolling up into logs and finally slicing. I was popping my head in and out of the refrigerator before I could finally sit down, relax and wait for the logs of dough to freeze up. I suspect this would be a good cookie to be made in much cooler climes.But nevertheless I made them and am so delighted with the results. I have used other recipes before but none turned out as beautifully as this. I really can't get over how pretty they are. Can you?


Here's the recipe..........

3 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 1/3 cup castor sugar
2 large eggs
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped finely and melted

Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Beat butter until fluffy, add sugar and beat some more till white and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well. Turn down the speed and mix in flour mixture until combined.

Divide the dough into 2 parts and wrap one half in cling film or plastic bag, shape into a 4 by 4 inch square ...like so....and chill.



Return the other half to mixer and mix in the cooled melted chocolate and mix well. Shape the chocolate dough into a 4 by 4 inch square in cling film or plastic bag and chill with the other half for 30 minutes.

Cut out 4 pieces of parhment paper about 10 by 10 inches square.

Take out the block of chocolate dough and cut it into 4 strips. Return 3 of the strips to the refrigerator. Roll out the 1 strip to about 6 by 7 inches between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Keep aside or preferably in the refrigerator.

Take out the plain butter dough block and divide into 4 strips and roll out one strip to a 6 by 7 inch rectangle in between 2 pieces of parchment paper (keep the remaining strips refrigerated).

Peel off the top pieces of parchment paper from both of the rolled out pieces of dough. Flip the plain dough over the chocolate dough. Peel off the parchment paper from the plain dough. Trim the edges to get a neat rectangle.


Gently by using the aid of bottom parchment paper roll up the layered dough into a nice tight log. Wrap in cling film and freeze the log for 1 hour. Do the same thing for the other 3 sets of plain and chocolate dough and freeze them all for 1 hour.




After 1 hour take them out and roll them back and forth to avoid the logs being flattened on one side and then place them back into the freezer for 3 hours.

Take the logs out after 3 hours, slice, place on a lined baking tray and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes until firm. Cool on a wire rack and sore in an airtight tin. Makes about 60, I think. They're so pretty! :)