Holiday Cookies 2022

Holiday Cookies: Pinwheel and Lebkuchen

Making the Cookies

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy with an electric mixer (3 minutes).  

Add sugar and beat 2 minutes more.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating each into the mix, then add vanilla extract. 

Add the flour mixture gradually until a relatively dry, thoroughly mixed dough forms.

Split the dough into two equal portions (use a kitchen scale if available).  

Mold half the dough into a 4”x4” square, wrap in plastic film and place in the refrigerator.  Return the other half of the dough to the bowl.  

Melt the unsweetened chocolate using a double boiler or in the microwave on high for 1-3 minutes, adding minutes until the chocolate is smoothly melted but not cooked.  

Add the chocolate to the dough and mix slowly until combined into a lumpy dough.  

Mold the chocolate dough into a 4”x4” square, wrap in plastic film and place in the refrigerator.  

Keep the dough squares in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to three days (This is a good place to take a break in preparation, if necessary).

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut each square into four even 1”x 4” blocks.  

Place one block of vanilla dough and one block of chocolate dough each between two sheets of parchment and roll the blocks into 6”x7” rectangles.  

Peel the top sheet of parchment from each rectangle of dough and flip the vanilla dough onto the chocolate dough.  

Run a rolling pin once lightly over the combined layers to assure adherence of the two layers together.  

Peel off the topmost parchment and trim away excess dough to form even edges on the rectangle.  

Using the parchment beneath the dough, lift an edge and gradually roll the dough into a log.  

Wrap the log in plastic film, roll lightly on a solid surface to round any flat surfaces in the dough, and place in the freezer.  

Repeat the entire process for the remaining 6 blocks of dough and place in the freezer. Keep in the freezer at least 2 hours or up to three months.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

Line a baking sheet with parchment, shortening, oil, or butter.  

Remove the dough from the freezer and, using a sharp, thin knife, cut the dough into 1/4” slices and transfer to the baking sheet.  

Bake 9-11 minutes until there is a light golden cast to the vanilla dough.  

Cool cookies on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

Making the Cookies

Cream the shortening and sugar together with a mixer.  

Add eggs individually, beating them into the mixture.  

Beat in the molasses.  

Dissolve the soda in the coffee, add and mix. 

Combine citron and shredded fruit peel together. 

Sift together flour, cocoa, spices and salt into a separate bowl.  

Gradually add flour and spices to the mixture, alternating with the fruit mix and chopped nuts.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

Grease a large cookie sheet and spread the batter to a thickness of ½ inch.  Leave sufficient space around the batter for spreading.

Place the cookie sheet with batter on a middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes.  Allow the finished bake to cool for 20 minutes, then cut into squares 1”-2”.

Read the Holiday Cookies blog entry.

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