Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

These were a little tricky for me! As I have said before, sugar cookies never work for me... I really don't know what the jinx is, but I guess it is a curse that I will have to live with! :) In the long run, I got them to work and they turned out pretty yummy, but they were a bear to put together - they tried my patience a little bit, especially when I was trying to roll out the dough and my 2 year old was laying across the table trying to lick up all the powdered sugar! :)


Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
(recipe found at www.foodnetwork.com)

1 batch sugar cookies, recipe follows
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

Divide the dough in half and add chocolate and vanilla to 1 half and incorporate with hands. Add egg yolk, peppermint extract and crushed candy to other half of dough and incorporate with hands. Cover both with plastic and chill for approximately 5 minutes. Roll out doughs separately to approximately 1/4 inch thickness. Place peppermint dough on top of chocolate and press together around the edges. Using waxed paper or flexible cutting board underneath, roll dough into log. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 2 hours. (This is where I had issues, my dough kept sticking to the table, so I had to piece the chocolate dough together on top of the peppermint dough. It looked rough, but when I cut it up they turned out fine!)

Preheat oven to 375. Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Place cookies 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat and bake for 12-13 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Sugar Cookie
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough iin half, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.