Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Good Grief Baking Therapy

Last Updated on July 4, 2024 by Lisa Keys

Christmas pinwheel cookies are my husband's favorite. Filled with marmalade, nuts and spices they make for a festive holiday bite. Plus, they really dress up a cookie tray with that lovely spiral.

Baking for him and a few others is my therapy. Winter blues is a thing this time of year, but baking a few sweets is the cure. The photos illustrate just a few recipes I tried.

Tapping into that inner strength I created 3 inspired original recipes which were totally delightful plus a few tried and true favorites. It would not be a Christmas cookie tray without Caitlin's favorite jam thumbprints, my favorite molasses, or these melt in your mouth spirited shortbread .

Truth be told I did have a meltdown the day after Christmas. In a room full of people surrounded by our children I suddenly felt like half of me was missing. In an instant and out of nowhere I was overwhelmed by his absence. Gosh I miss him! Cookies can't change that. I wonder which one would be his favorite. What gets you through the holidays?

Here is the recipe for the Christmas pinwheel cookies. If you don't like orange marmalade feel free to use raspberry jam for a linzer tart flavor. A clipping from a magazine, I have been making this spicy, fruit-filled nutty slice and bake cookie for decades. What I love about it is the cookie dough can be made ahead and stored in the fridge or freezer for a week and then sliced and baked fresh when you need them. It's a keeper.

Cookie ingredient substitutions

• Use any marmalade or jam that your heart desires
• Use pecans, almonds or hazelnuts instead of walnuts
• No allspice? Try any combination of warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)
• any moist dried fruit like cherries, apricots or golden raisins can be used

Orange Nut Pinwheels

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Orange nut pinwheels are a holiday tradition.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course cookies

Cuisine American

Servings 4 dozen

Calories 74 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
• ½ cup orange marmalade
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup dark seedless raisins
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

Instructions

 

• In medium-sized bowl, combine first 4 ingredients and 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar.
• Into large bowl, measure flour, shortening, egg, and 1 cup packed light-brown sugar. Knead ingredients until dough holds together.
• On sheet of waxed paper, roll out half of dough into a 14" by 6" rectangle; spread with half of nut mixture. Starting with a 6-inch side, roll up dough. Repeat with remaining dough and nut mixture. Wrap and refrigerate rolls 2 hours or until firm enough to slice. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 1 week before baking.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease large cookie sheets. Cut one roll crosswise into ¼ inch-thick slices. Place slices, 1 inch apart, on cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. With pancake turner, remove cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining roll. Store cookies in tightly covered container.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 cookie.

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 5mgPotassium: 28mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.3mg

Keyword Christmas cookies, dessert, holiday, orange nut, pinwheels, snack

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!