Description
These Chocolate Mint Pinwheel Cookies are delightful, festive treats combining rich chocolate flavor with refreshing peppermint essence. Featuring a vibrant green mint dough rolled with a chocolate layer, these visually stunning cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations or anytime you want a sweet minty indulgence. The dough is chilled and rolled into a pinwheel shape, then sliced and baked to tender perfection with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (286 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons (16 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
Wet Ingredients
- 2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at cool room temperature
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Additional
- ¼-½ teaspoon green gel food coloring
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt thoroughly to ensure even distribution.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until smooth and well-combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl sides and bottom.
- Add Wet Flavorings: Add the egg, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until fully combined, scraping down the bowl again.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until just incorporated to avoid overmixing.
- Divide and Color Dough: Split dough roughly in half. Mix green gel food coloring into one half starting with ¼ teaspoon until evenly colored, adding more if desired. To the other half, add cocoa powder and milk, beating until combined on low speed.
- Shape and Chill Dough: Wrap each half of dough in plastic wrap, forming small rectangles. Refrigerate until firm but pliable, about 1 hour.
- Roll Dough Sheets: On a parchment-lined silicone baking mat, roll each dough half covered in plastic wrap into an 8×14-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Chill both sheets until firm, around 10 minutes.
- Layer and Roll Log: Remove plastic from green dough and place on fresh parchment. Peel away any attached parchment. Layer chocolate dough on top, pressing edges together to seal and trim for evenness. Using the parchment as a guide, roll the layered dough tightly into a log, wrap tightly, and freeze for 1 hour until firm.
- Prepare for Baking: Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Trim dough edges and slice into 1/2-inch rounds. Place slices 2 inches apart on sheets. Chill dough slices in fridge or freezer while preheating the oven to 350°F.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 10-12 minutes until set. Let cookies rest on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Store Properly: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Note, cookies soften over time.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant and consistent color. Americolor’s Forest Green is ideal for a classic Christmas look, while Americolor Leaf Green offers a brighter tone.
- Wrapping the dough log in parchment paper ensures a smooth exterior when slicing the cookies.
- Dough chill times are important for workability and clean slices of the pinwheel shapes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 65mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
