Pinwheel Icebox Cookies

I've been under the weather for a few days, not so sick I need to lay in bed but don't feel like doing much of anything or going anywhere - so I've busied myself with cleaning and organizing a few cabinets in the meantime; I found an old 'McCall's Cookie Collection" dated 1965 in the very top of my recipe cabinet, it's in a plastic page protector and has been very well used judging by all the drops and dough smudges in the pages! I can't remember but I'm assuming this is a book I used as a kid and either my mom gave to me or I stole it when I moved out hahahha. So in addition to sorting recipe books I also decided to make 'pinwheel icebox cookies', a recipe on the 2nd page of the book that caught my eye...

The pinwheel is made by stacking a chocolate layer on top of a colored vanilla layer, rolling them into a log, and slicing into disks. I added pink food coloring to the vanilla layer thinking that sounded kinda Valentine-y, you can leave it just vanilla color or add whatever food color you want - the cookbook suggests green or red so I assume they mean this to be a Christmas cookie? 

An 'icebox' cookie is also known as refrigerator cookies, which just means the stiff dough needs to be chilled in the fridge until firm. I ended up taking 3 days to make these but you can certainly do it faster! First day I made the dough and chilled it, second day I rolled it into the log and chilled, third day I baked them. I didn't get as many cookies as the recipe said, and my log was 2.5" instead of 1.5", but they turned out good - crunchy and soft at the same time which I enjoy. The end cookies are ugly because of the way the dough rolled, but the center cut ones are a nice pretty spiral. Note, if I would have thought about it and paid more attention it makes sense why you'd roll the dough into a square as directed - I rolled into sort of a round pie crust shape and that's why the ends didn't turn out pretty!

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2/3 cup soft butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla

• 2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 3 or 4 drops green or red food color
• 1/2 t. mint extract (optional - my note: I didn't add the mint extract)

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter until light. Gradually beat in sugar. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until very light and fluffy. 

2. At low speed, beat in half the flour mixture; mix in rest to form a stiff dough. Divide evenly into two bowls. Add chocolate to one, mixing well. Add food color and mint extract to other, blending well. Refrigerate 1 hour. 

3. Roll each part between two sheets of waxed paper, to a 7" square. Peel off top sheets of waxed  paper, invert chocolate layer onto colored layer; peel off top sheet of waxed paper. 

4. With rolling pin or hands, gently press layers together. Roll up, jelly-roll fashion. Roll will be 1 1/2" in diameter. 

5. Wrap  in waxed paper or foil, seam side  down; refrigerate until firm - several hours or overnight - before baking.

6. Preheat oven to 375'. With sharp knife, cut as many 1/8" slices as desired for baking at one time. Rewrap rest of roll and refrigerate until you desire to bake more. Place slices 2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer from cookie sheets to wire racks to cool completely. 

Makes about 4 dozen.  (my note - I got 30 good looking cookies and about 8 ugly end ones that still taste good they just don't have the pretty swirl)

2.12.21: triple berry muffins

2.12.20: yarn heart

2.12.19: add a pin to pearls

2.12.18: Valentine ball jar vase and candleholder

2.12.17: goat cheese tart

2.12.16: Brooke and Sydney make 'cootie catchers'