The Berne, Indiana area Amish settlement is a repository of food memories for me: rivel soup, vinegar pie, bread pie, one-kettle soup, homemade white bread, and I could go on and on listing menu items that make me wax sentimental. Those were simpler times, even among the Amish. Warm spring days with a whiff of rhubarb on the wind. Those were special days and I'll never get them back, but they live on for me in food.
Pinwheel cookies are an Amish favorite. This isn't an iced cookie or an overly sweet cookie, but it still has managed to win me over. This is what I could call a perfect "breakfast cookie." Really, you have a couple of these with a cup of coffee in the morning and you'll be satisfied.
The first time I ever tried this cookie was at the home of the late Elizabeth Coblentz. As the name implies there's a pinwheel swirl of chocolate that gives these cookies their distinctive look.Rachel made these over the weekend and she thought that these would be cute "baby shower" cookies where you could add food coloring and create gender-themed cookies with traditional pink or blue. The cookies look really cool with their signature swirls but Rachel reports that they really were not difficult to make.
- 2 cups butter, softened
- 1 /2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 teaspoons baking powder
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 /4 cup milk
- 4 eggs, separated
- 6 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- In a large mixing bowl, stir butter, salt, sugar, baking powder, flour, milk, and the egg yolk.
- The white can be discarded or saved for another recipe.
- Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough is elastic.
- More flour can be added as needed.
- Divide the dough into two halves.
- Put one dough half in a mixing bowl and add cocoa.
- Knead the dough with your hands until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in and the dough turns a dark color.
- In the other bowl, add vanilla and work through the dough until mixed, adding more flour if needed to keep the dough elastic.
- On two floured surfaces roll each dough ball into 12 X 9” rectangles about 1/ 4 inch thick.
- Place the white dough on top of the cocoa dough and press together
- Then roll tightly lengthwise like a jellyroll, 2 inches in diameter.
- Set in the refrigerator covered overnight.
- In the morning, Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Slice the dough into 1 /2-inch slices and arrange flat on the sheets and bake until the cookies are firm, about 20 minutes.
brenda
Rachels idea was a good one. I can see them at a bridal shower also with the color being the wedding colors.
Gordy
As a former professional baker,(worked in shops for years, then opened my own, out of work now, but still like to bake ), these pinwheels were always a hit at Christmas time in boxed cookies.
Kevin
Thanks for standing up for this underappreciated cookie!-)
Kim Cummings
These cookies are delicious. One of my favorite that my Grandmother from Odon, In made all the time. She used a different filling though. I don't remember if it was mashed up and blended figs or persimmons but they were very yummy!
Kevin
THanks for sharing this, Kim...and I was just in Odon last week....nice little town!
Kim Cummings
I just remembered.......she used dates to make the filling????
Janet
This is one of my favorites. A little bakery near me sells these and I ALWAYS get some when I go in.. I can't imagine putting in dates, however. Perhaps this comment came from another recipe?
I think they are more like shortbread...not sweet, but just right!!!
Kevin
Yeah, I'm having trouble picturing dates in these also, come to think of it....
Carmen
Kevin, this takes me back a lot of years, about 45 or so! This recipe was in the local paper, and my Mom made them. For some reason, she threw the recipe away. I loved the cookies, so she called the neighbors to see if anyone still had the paper. I still have the handwritten copy that our neighbor lady gave to Mom. I'm gonna have to make some now!
Kevin
Carmen, always good to hear from you....yes, these are a good cookie, hopefully you will get to make - and eat - some soon!
brenda
i bet they would be quite nice at christmastime in red and white and the red flavored with peppermint. green and white with wintergreen. Easter colors with lavender flavoring. orange and white with spice for Halloween.maybe some black with anise for Halloween also. i would say they would be great for nearly every occasion.
Kevin
Brenda, cute idea, the multiple colors for seasonal occasions, we'll have to try that!