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–+ servings
six pinwheel cookies on silicone sheet

Sourdough Pinwheel Sugar Cookies

Hailey
Blue and white pinwheel cookies just got better. Sourdough discard makes these sugar cookies delightfully sweet and soft. Enjoy with or without sprinkles.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 Cookies
Calories 104 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 hand mixer
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Baking Sheet

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup sourdough discard
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 4-6 drops natural food dye
  • 2 TBS freeze dried fruit powder or spirulina optional - to boost color - see notes
  • 2 TBS natural sprinkles optional

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream butter, sugar and powdered sugar on a low speed. Once combined, add the remaining wet ingredients: the egg yolk, vanilla extract and almond extract (optional).
    Whip until light and fluffy. Then add in the sourdough discard until mixed together.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together baking soda, salt and flour in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Stir until combined.
  • Separate the mixture in two. If adding additional colors, split the dough equally between allotted bowls (one for each color). Keep each color in a separate bowl to ensure colors do not meld together.
    Add the food coloring (food dye or powder) to the sourdough discard sugar cookie dough you would like to dye (or more if needed). Mix until combined. We kept one color as white and the other color as blue.
  • If the dough is soft, you can put the bowls in the fridge for 5-10 minutes until it is pliable but not hard to work with. Put in the freezer to speed up.
  • Spread each color onto a separate piece of wax paper or parchment paper. Flatten with your hands or a rolling pin until 1/8 inch thin.
    Add one layer to the top of the other, removing the top layer of wax paper. Ensure whatever layer you want the outside of the cookies to be is on the bottom of the layers. For these cookies, the white layer was on the bottom and blue on the top.
    Start the dough roll with your fingers. Pull the edge of the wax paper towards you to roll the dough or use your hands to roll into a log shape.
    More layers = more pinwheel swirl. Ensure the roll is tight.
  • Option to allow the dough to cool in the fridge or freezer before rolling in sourdough sugar cookie dough in sprinkles. We let the dough chill for 30 minutes before covering the exterior in sprinkles.
    Carefully roll the dough in sprinkles ensuring the exterior is thoroughly covered. Use the wax paper to cover the exterior of the sourdough sugar.
  • When ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge or freezer. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Cut the sugar cookies into 1/4” thick rounds. Place on a prepared baking sheet (use silicone baking mat or parchment paper).
  • Allow the sourdough discard sugar cookies to bake for 8-10 minutes. They will be soft to the touch, though a finger will not leave an indent when touched.
    Cool on a wire rack until heat is no longer released from cookie before icing or frosting.

Video

Notes

Food Dye and Food Powder (For Color)
We love Watkins natural food dye. To increase the depth in color, we utilized fried blueberries ground into a powder to increase the blue color. Additional options are below for other color variations.
    • For blue color: blue spirulina powder or powdered freeze dried blueberries
    • For yellow color: a hint of tumeric adds depth and color without impacting flavor
    • For green color: spirulina powder is a good choice
    • For red color: beet powder, freeze dried raspberry powder and strawberry powder all work well
Long Fermentation Guidelines
If long fermenting, allow the dough to sit on the counter for up to 12 hours before placing in the fridge until you are ready to bake (up to 4 days). Ensure the dough is sealed tightly to prevent the dough from drying out.
Baking from Frozen
This is a great recipe to make in advance. Once the cookies are rolled, cover them with plastic wrap or wax paper and place into a ziplock bag.
When ready to bake, remove from fridge and slice. Cook following the instructions outlined above and enjoy!
Storage 
Store the sourdough sugar cookies at room temperature in a ziplock bag for up to 1 week. These can be frozen for up to 3 months.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 104kcalCarbohydrates: 15.9gProtein: 0.9gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 45mgPotassium: 5mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 10.7gVitamin A: 39IUVitamin C: 0.0004mgCalcium: 1.7mgIron: 0.2mg
Keyword cookies, dessert, discard, fruit, sourdough, sugar cookies
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