Pinwheel cookies recipe

These pretty iced cookies look so fancy but they're easy and fun to make.

Our pinwheel cookies are iced in a single colour and then topped with a swirl of contrasting icing. The effect is just like a Catherine wheel. They're great for celebrations, and if you're doing a themed event you can even colour-code them accordingly. We've kept the biscuit recipe utterly simple, so they're quick to make. The only thing to take into account is that you will want time for the dough to chill before you bake it (so the biscuits keep their shape during cooking). And you will need them to cool properly before they're ready for icing.

Ingredients

• 175g butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 egg whites
• 450g icing sugar
• red, orange and yellow food colouring

You will need:

• Disposable piping bags

Method

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Then sift in the flour. The consistency should be soft and doughy. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to firm up for 15 – 30mins.
2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Once the dough is firm, on a lightly floured surface roll it out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut into circles using a cutter, arrange on a lined baking tray and chill for a further 30mins.
3. Bake for 15mins. They will look quite pale. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
4. To make the icing whisk together the egg whites and icing sugar, using an electric mixer. Divide into three and colour one of each third with a different food colouring. Use to fill disposable piping bags. Pipe spirals of each colour onto the biscuits, and leave to set for at least two hours, or overnight.

Top tip for making pinwheel cookies

You want your icing to have the consistency of toothpaste – so that it holds its shape well. If you need to fill small gaps use a toothpick to drag the icing into the area you need.

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Chocolate chip cookies

Sugar cookies recipe

Peanut butter cookies