Cinnamon Bun Pinwheel Cookies

More transportable than a cinnamon roll, these cinnamon roll cookies would be a pretty addition to a cookie platter.  They are basically a cinnamon shortbread cookie.  I was in a hurry and didn’t have time to drizzle icing on them, but I will definitely next time.  It would look just like a cinnamon roll!

I made half of this recipe and yielded 2 dozen cookies.  These would also be good to make ahead of time and simply freeze the roll.  When you are ready to make the cookies, simply let the dough thaw a little, slice and bake!

Cinnamon Bun Pinwheel Cookies
yield 4 dozen cookies

Vanilla Dough:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
12 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1  & 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1  & 1/2 cups AP flour

Cinnamon Dough:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbs. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
12 Tbs  unsalted butter
1 Tb. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1.5 cups AP flour

1.  (To toast pecans:  place on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool completely).  To make vanilla dough:  Cream sugar, butter, salt and vanilla.
2.   Add the flour and stir into a dough form.  Bunch it up with your hands and then form it into a disk.  Put the disk in plastic wrap and fridge for at least 1 hours.
3.  To make cinnamon dough:  In saucepan, mix the sugar, honey, salt, vanilla, butter and cinnamon.  Turn stove to medium heat and cook until butter is melted and sugar dissolved.  Remove from heat.
4.  In a food processor, process the cinnamon mixture and pecans.  They should be smooth.
5.  In a bowl, mix the pecan slurry mixture and flour until it forms a dough.  Do the same as the vanilla dough: form into disk, wrap and fridge for an hour.
6.  To make pinwheel cookies:  Lay down some wax paper or parchment.  Dust lightly with flour.  Roll the vanilla dough to about a 18″x12″ rectangle.
7.  On another piece of paper, roll out the cinnamon dough 1/2″ less than the vanilla dough.
8.   Using the paper, transfer the cinnamon dough carefully on top of the vanilla.  Then using the bottom piece of paper, starting with the long edge facing you, roll the dough together into a tight log.  Press the edge to seal and wrap in plastic wrap in the freezer for 1 hour.
9.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Thaw dough about 15 minutes and slice into 1/4″ slices.  Place on lined or greased cookie sheets and bake 12-14 minutes or until firm.  Cool and eat!

Recipe from KingArthurFlour.com