For many, the tang of cranberries is the standout of flavor of the winter holiday season. This dark red berry livens up turkey, ham, game, and more. Here, TABLE Magazine Contributing Editor Anna Franklin swirls them into pretty pinwheel cookies that will spark interest at your wintertime cookie table.

Tips for Rolling Spiral Cookies with Filling

Rolling cookies into spirals with a filling can be a fun and creative way to elevate your baking skills. To achieve perfect spirals, start by chilling your dough to firm it up. Roll out the dough to your desired thickness and cut it into two discs. Place a dollop of filling in the center of each circle. You want to be sure you do not add too much filling since you still want the dough to be able to seal the filling in. Fold the dough over the filling, pinching the edges to seal. Then, roll the dough up tightly, starting from the edge and working your way towards the center.

Once you’re done rolling, place the spirals on a baking sheet and bake according to your recipe or wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill before baking if required. For a more elegant presentation, consider adding on a dusting of powdered sugar to the cookies.

Orange Cranberry Swirl Cookies

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• Author: Anna Franklin

Print Recipe

Description

These festive spirals are even more delicious than they look!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 tbsp orange peel
• 3 cups flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 cup cranberries
• ¼ cup pecans
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp orange peel

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Instructions

1. In a large bowl add butter and sugar; mix until fluffy.

2. Mix in vanilla, eggs, and orange peel.

3. Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix until combined.

4. Divide dough into 2 discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. In a food processor add cranberries, pecans, sugar, and orange peel.

6. Make the filling when your first disc is halfway thawed and ready to use, or it will have too much juice by the time you’re ready to use it.

7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your disc to a rectangle about 17 X 5 inches.

8. Add your filling, but leave a ½-inch frame for it to bake together.

9. Slowly roll the dough into a log, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

10. Remove from plastic wrap and begin cutting your logs into slices.

11. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-13 minutes.

12. Finished cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 5 days.

Recipe and Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

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 I first found this recipe in 2018; I was familiar with nut rolls growing up, but while doing research for a Pittsburgh cookie-table fundraiser at Spork for Dor Hadash, New Light, and Tree of Life, I fell in love with the flaky dough and endless variety of fillings. After several tweaks, I came up with a less sweet, lighter, crispier cookie that allowed the fillings to really shine. Since then, rugelach has been a regular addition on my holiday trays.

Traditionally, some sort of smooth jam and ground nut is used (raspberry and walnut is super traditional), but this particular combo is my dad’s favorite. @kevileedropsthemic

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER RUGELACH RECIPE

Makes 128 cookies

Ingredients

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp kosher salt

16 oz cold, unsalted butter, about 1-inch cubed

16 oz cold, cream cheese, about 1-inch cubed

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 large egg yolks

Powdered sugar, as needed

1 cup smooth peanut butter

2 cups mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Throw the flour, salt, butter, and cream cheese into your stand-mixer bowl.

2. On the lowest speed, slowly begin to break up the cubes of butter and cream cheese until lima bean-sized “chonks” start to form.

3. Meanwhile, stir the vanilla into the egg yolks.

4. Drizzle the yolks into the flour mixture and slowly mix until the dough just begins to clump together. There should be visible streaks of butter and cream cheese.

5. Transfer to a work surface and divide the dough into 8 equal portions (about 7 ounces apiece) and flatten into 1-inch-thick disks.

6. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

7. Sprinkle your work surface and the surface of the dough liberally with the powdered sugar and begin to roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8-inch thick.

8. Sprinkle the work surface, rolling pin and dough with powdered sugar as needed, it is a sticky dough.

9. Spread about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on the surface, going right to the edge of the dough. Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup of the mini chips.

10. With the sharpest knife in your kitchen, slice the dough (like a pizza) into 16 equal wedges.

11. Beginning at the short edge, roll the dough like a croissant. Place tip down onto parchment-lined baking sheet.

12. Chill the shaped cookies for 30 minutes.

13. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

14. Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through baking.

Notes:

Cookies will keep for about a week at room temperature in an airtight container.

Don’t break out the ruler to cube your cream cheese and butter. This is just a general guideline.

Keep an eye on the dough and let it go slow. Those “chonks” are the key to the flaky factor.

The divided, wrapped dough can be frozen; let it thaw in the fridge overnight before shaping and baking.

If your circle isn’t perfect, don’t worry, you won’t see those ragged edges after shaping.

Use smooth peanut butter as chunky will tear the thin dough. If you really want those chunks, toss a few chopped peanuts on top with the chips.

Other filling ideas: Nutella® and hazelnuts, marmalade and craisins, apricot jam and dried sour cherries. Let your imagination run wild!

RECIPE AND STORY BY KEVI LEE FURGASON / STYLING BY ANNA CALABRESE / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE

Try some of TABLE’s other COOKIE recipes:

Strawberry Rhubarb Thumbprint Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rugelach

Orange Cranberry Swirl Cookies

Don’t miss a single delicious thing:

Subscribe to TABLE Magazine here!