Pinwheel Cookies

The official name (and I use that term loosely considering this is a family recipe) of these are "Candy Cane Cookies," because the original recipe instructs the baker to intertwine the red and white dough into the shape of a candy cane before sprinkling with actual crushed candy canes and baking. However, for a myriad of reasons, one being that it is no longer at all close candy cane season, I am calling these pinwheel cookies.

You can dye the dough any color you'd like, or not dye it at all and treat it as you would sugar cookies. But considering the fast approaching February 14th holiday, I think it is still quite appropriate to use red food coloring. You could even make them into heart shapes rather than circles. Go on and get creative.

Pinwheel Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup softened shortening or 1/2 cup softened soy butter

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (almond is particularly tasty)

1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Mix together shortening/butter, powdered sugar, milk, almond extract, and vanilla extract. 

Add sifted flour and salt to the shortening/butter mixture. Stir until well combined.

Split the dough into two (only if you are planning on adding food coloring). Put one half of the dough aside, stir in food coloring to the second half, then set aside.

Roll out each color on a flat, floured surface into rectangles of the same size. Place the red (or whatever color you have chosen) on top of the white (or whatever other color you have chosen), then starting from the longest side of the rectangle, roll the dough cinnamon roll-style, to form a log. Cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick and place on un-greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until bottoms are just beginning to brown.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.