Christmas Cookies: Festive Slice-and-Bake Peppermint Pinwheels 
By Kim Laidlaw and Wendy Goodfriend 

Recipe: Peppermint Pinwheels 
Makes about 2 dozen cookies 
Ingredients: 
6 ounces butter, at cool room temperature
​3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 large egg yolk 
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt 
1/2 tsp red liquid food coloring
​1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup sparkle sugar 
Instructions: 
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until evenly combined. Split the dough into two equal pieces. Add the food coloring and peppermint extract to one of the halves, stirring or kneading it into the dough until thoroughly combined.
  3. Have ready 4 large pieces of parchment paper, each about 18 inches long. Spread the sparkle sugar on a large rimmed baking sheet.
  4. On a work surface, shape each dough piece into a rectangle and place each on one piece of parchment. Top each with a second piece of parchment, then roll out each into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Peel off the top pieces of parchment. Sandwich the two doughs together, lining them up. Using the paper to help, roll up the dough lengthwise into a tight log.
  5. Roll the log in the sparkle sugar, pressing slightly to make sure it adheres to the dough. Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.  
  6. Preheat the oven to 350F. Unwrap the dough log and slice it into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Place the slices on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, spacing them evenly. Bake until set but before they begin to brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.