Pinwheel Or Poinsettia Cookies Recipes

POINSETTIA COOKIES

Steps:

• With a paddle attachment beat butter, cream cheese and egg yolk until smooth, reserving the white for later. Stir in flour and baking powder. Mix until stiff dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Lightly beat egg white and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• On lightly floured surface, roll dough, 1/2 at a time, into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. With sharp knife, cut dough into 3-inch squares. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased, parchment-lined cookie sheets.
• Brush with egg white. Lightly press about 1 1/2 inches of wooden stick into bottom center of each dough square. With sharp knife, cut the dough diagonally from each corner to within 1/2-inch of center of each square. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon red sugar over each square. Fold alternate corners of the square to the center to form pinwheel, overlapping the dough at the center pushing down gently to seal in center. Press one M & M in center of each pinwheel.
• Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until set. Using spatula, immediately remove from cookie sheets.

POINSETTIA COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and cream cheese until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Add egg and vanilla; mix until well blended. Stir in flour by hand using a sturdy spoon while adding enough red food coloring to make the dough turn a pretty red color.
• Roll the balls in the red decorator sugar and place them on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Refrigerate the cookies on their cookie sheets until firm, about 10 minutes.
• When the cookies are firm, make three slices across each cookie to make 6 slices like a pie, cutting only about 2/3 of the way through the cookie balls.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies appear dry. Cool on the cookie sheets, then peel away from the aluminum foil.
• Make the icing for the cookies by mixing the confectioners' sugar and water until it reaches a piping consistency. Add a drop of yellow food coloring. Put icing into a pastry bag or resealable bag and cut a small piece off of the corner. Pipe small dots onto the center of the cookies. Allow icing to dry before storing cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies can be stored for up to two weeks.

POINSETTIA COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer.
• Add confectioners' sugar; beat well.
• Beat in the egg and extracts.
• Blend in the flour and salt.
• Form the dough into two disks and wrap them in plastic.
• Chill the dough well.
• Remove one disk from the refrigerator.
• Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Cut into 11/2-inch squares, then cut from each corner of the square almost to the center.
• Turn over every other cut point to the center and press gently, forming a pinwheel (or poinsettia).
• Sprinkle the center of each with red sugar.
• Repeat with the second disk of dough.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place the cookies on greased baking sheets and bake until very lightly golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.

POINSETTIA COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat in egg and food coloring. Separately, combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in red - hots. Divide dough in half; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour or until firm.
• 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of dough into a 12 x 10 - inch rectangle. With a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut dough into 2 inch squares. Place 1 inch apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Cut through dough from each corner of square from within 1/2 inch of center. Fold alternating points of square to center to form a pinwheel; pinch gently at center to seal. Repeat with remaining dough.
• 3. Bake in preheated oven for 7-9 minutes or until set. Remove from oven to wire racks to cool.
• 4. OPTIONAL DECORATIONS: In a small bowl, combine 1 cup powdered sugar and the milk. Pipe 1/2 teaspoon frosting in center of each cookie; Top with a red-hot candy. NOTE: I push a red-hot candy in the center of the cookies before I bake them. Seems to work just fine. I also usually just roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut the dough out. You can sprinkle the cookies before you bake them with colored sugar as well. That saves time and they turn out pretty as well.

POINSETTIA COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add confectioners' sugar; beat well. Beat in the egg and extracts. Blend in the flour and salt. Form the dough into two disks and wrap them in plastic. Chill the dough well.
• 2. Remove one disk from the refrigerator. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 1 1/2-inch squares, then cut from each corner of the square almost to the center. Turn over every other cut point to the center and press gently, forming a pinwheel (or poinsettia). Sprinkle the center of each with red sugar. Repeat with the second disk of dough.
• 3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the cookies on greased baking sheets and bake until very lightly golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.