Cream Cheese Pinwheels Recipe
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A few years ago I discovered, in the dark recesses of my parents’ kitchen cabinets, a cookie press, circa 1963, that my mom had ordered by sending in proofs-of-purchase from U & I Sugar. This recipe was inspired by one I came across in the recipe book that came with the cookie press. Since I never had much luck with the press, though, I adapted the recipe so I could make it with a pastry bag and a star tip. I gave the fruits of my labor, these Cream Cheese Pinwheels, to all my friends one Christmas, and they have been at the top of the most requested cookie list ever since.
Game plan: You will need a 12- to 18-inch pastry bag fitted with a star tip in order to pipe the pinwheels. The size of the cookies will vary depending on the size of the tip you use. We’ve made these with a 1/2-inch-wide star tip, which formed 2-inch-wide cookies.
This recipe was featured as part of our Holiday Cookies photo gallery.
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (3 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup raspberry jam
- Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Combine butter, sugar, and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl sides and bottom. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add flour and mix on low until the dough comes together.
- Place dough in a piping bag fitted with a star tip, squeezing the dough toward the tip of the bag to eliminate air pockets. Twist the bag down tightly on the cookie dough and hold the bag at the point where you started the twist—this will be your squeezing hand. Use your other hand to guide the tip.
- Hold the bag perpendicular to a baking sheet, aiming the tip where you want the center of the cookie to be. Squeezing firmly on the bag’s end, pipe the cookies by guiding the bag in a counterclockwise spiral out from the cookie’s center. Make only one full rotation, and try to keep the spiral as tight as possible.
- With the end of a wooden spoon, make an indentation about 1/2 inch wide and 1/2 inch deep in the center of each spiral; dip the spoon handle in flour if it sticks to the cookie dough.
- Place the jam in a resealable plastic bag and squeeze it into one corner. Cut a 1/4-inch piece off the corner. Pipe enough jam into each cookie indentation to fully fill; don’t overfill or the jam will run out onto the cookie.
- Bake cookies until the edges are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a rack to cool.
Very good cookie, even made two batches. I was a little worried when I read the other reviews but it is the perfect dough for a spritz machine.
I found the dough perfect - for my cookie press. I gave up on the piping after 3 minutes. The smaller cookies did take less time to cook though: 10 -12 minutes.
They were just lovely and delicious and a big hit with my coworkers (a tough bunch to please).
I just used 1/12 C. flour because of the comments regarding the stiffness of the dough. I found that this worked out perfectly (in high elevation) and the cookies came out delicious.
Delicious but way too stiff to pipe. I even tried 2 different kinds of flour. Almost burst a blood vessel trying to squeeze the stuff out.
I baked these last nite, 1 pipig bag and 3 reasealable bags later....was crumbly and oh so buttery & yummy! :) could give M&S a run for their money... ;)....
Didn't think anyone was paying attention here, so I never posted the crummy results I had with my pricey cookie press. The cookies were made into the thumb print cookies CailleachBeara talks about. My cookie press is a disaster. Belongs in a garage sale. I also noticed that Wms. Sonoma now has a totally different cookie press design in their store. You don't think I'm going to buy it; heck NO. And I did take my complaint to Wms. Sonoma and got Zero, zilch, nothing.
We used to call these...thumb print cookies, with the raspberry middle thingies...
So....if it's too stiff a dough to pipe with a pastry bag, it's got to be difficult with a cookie press? I want to use a pricey cookie press I've had for some time. I'll give it a whirl and let you know how I fare. Wish me luck, I hate the idea of ditching that cookie press; it wasn't cheap.
Maybe the flour should be sifted before measuring ?
I always do, even if the recipe doesn't say so.
I just made these, and thought the dough was a bit stiff to pipe. It was more suited to rolling out actually. Are you supposed to add ALL of the flour? Or just add until in comes together???