Click here if you’re looking for custom cookies for your event, party or wedding?
Red Velvet Shortbread Pinwheels
The last couple of years I have taken gingerbread men cookies to work on the last week before we break up for the holidays. This year, I wanted to do something a little different. I wanted to do pinwheels. And not just ordinary pinwheels, but the ones with sprinkles around the outside for a little extra festive flair. Originally, I had intended to just add red dye to half the mixture, but I bought some Lorann red velvet emulsion a while ago, and haven’t yet had an opportunity to use it. The emulsion is supposed to be a mixture of flavouring and colouring.
The colour was vibrant, but the red velvet flavour was maybe too subtle, so don’t skip the vanilla. If I was doing a cake or cupcakes, I would have added more, but I didn’t want to affect the shortbread consistency too much. Next time, I may add extra cocoa.
Tender shortbread pinwheel cookies with a festive red velvet swirl, encrusted in seasonal sprinkles
- 125 g Caster Sugar
- 250 g Unsalted Butter
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- pinch Salt
- 375 g Plain Flour
- 2 teaspoons Red Velvet Emulsion
- 100 g Nonpariels
-
Add caster sugar and room temperature butter to your mixer and beat on a medium high speed until thoroughly combined
-
Scrape down the sides, then add the egg yolk and vanilla then mix again until combined
-
Dump in the flour and salt, and mix on a slow speed until no flour remains and mixture resembles course breadcrumbs
-
Using your hands, press the mixture together until it forms a cohesive ball
-
Take out half the dough, and add the red velvet emulsion to the remainder and mix slowly until the dough is a uniform colour. If you don't have any emulsion, add 40g of cocoa dissolved in two teaspoons of warm water, plus some red gel food colourant
-
Roll out the vanilla dough on greaseproof paper into a rectangle, approximately 20cm x 30cm, and about 4mm thick. Repeat for the red velvet dough
-
Brush the vanilla dough with a little warmed milk, just enough to make the surface tacky. Carefully place the red velvet rectangle over the top, and roll a couple of times to melt the two layers together
-
Trim the edges with a pizza cutter to form a neat rectangle, keeping the cut-offs to form a marble cookie later
-
Red side up, brush a little more of the warmed milk until the surface is tacky
-
10. With the longer edge towards you, roll the edge in all the way along, and continue to roll away from you until your dough forms a tight sausage
-
11. Wrap the sausage in cling film, and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes until it has firmed up slightly
-
12. Place the nonpariels on a baking tray, then roll the chilled dough sausage in the sprinkles until the entire outside is coated. Re-wrap and place the dough back in the fridge for at least 4 hours until very firm
-
13. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4
-
14. Slice the dough from one end, in approximately 4mm thick slices. Place on a lined baking sheet, at least 2cm apart, and bake for 8 minutes
-
15. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to fully cool
You can customise this recipe to fit the holiday or colour scheme of your choice. You can also freeze this just before the slice-and-bake stage if you want to get ahead on some holiday baking.
Leave me a comment...