Halloween Pinwheel Cookies (Printable Recipe)

Colorful swirled sugar cookies with festive purple and green spirals, perfect for Halloween celebrations.

# Ingredients You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Coloring

08 - Green gel food coloring
09 - Purple gel food coloring

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until mixture becomes light, fluffy, and smooth in texture.
02 - Add eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Beat on medium speed until fully combined and smooth.
03 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - Add half of the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and continue mixing until dough forms and no dry pockets remain.
05 - Divide dough evenly into two portions, placing each in a separate bowl. Add green gel food coloring to one portion and knead by hand until color is evenly distributed. Repeat with purple gel food coloring for the second portion.
06 - Shape each colored dough portion into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm.
07 - Lightly dust work surface and rolling pin with flour. Unwrap purple dough, sprinkle with flour, and roll into a rectangular shape. Set aside. Repeat process with green dough to create a matching rectangle.
08 - Using a rubber spatula, carefully lift green dough and position it on top of purple dough. Gently roll with rolling pin to bond layers together. Trim edges with a knife to create clean, straight lines and a uniform rectangle.
09 - Starting from one long edge, carefully roll the layered dough into a tight log. Wrap securely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough log is firm throughout.
10 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
11 - Remove dough log from refrigerator and unwrap. Slice off ends, then cut log into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick rounds using a sharp knife.
12 - Arrange cookie slices on prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes until cookies are set but not browned. Check at 10 minutes to prevent over-baking.
13 - Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving or decorating.

# Extra Tips:

01 - Gel food coloring produces more vibrant colors than liquid food coloring and doesn't add excess moisture to the dough.
02 - Chilling the dough twice is essential - once after coloring to firm it for rolling, and again after forming the log to ensure clean slices.
03 - Cookie dough log can be frozen for 1-2 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature before slicing.
04 - The trimmed ends can be baked as irregular-shaped cookies - they may not look perfect but taste just as delicious.
05 - For even baking, keep cookie slices uniform in thickness. Thinner slices produce crispier cookies while thicker slices remain softer.
06 - Color combinations can be adapted for any holiday: red and green for Christmas, red and pink for Valentine's Day, or pastel colors for Easter.
07 - For three-color pinwheels, divide dough into thirds and layer all three colors before rolling into a log.

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