Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s that time of year again, when the weather here in the southern hemisphere is hot and sticky and we decide to crank up the oven and get baking Christmas gifts. Anyone would think we’re quite mad but there’s nothing like a good, old fashioned home made cookie, especially made with love. Since I was a small child, Mum (and Nanna) would always be busy, baking up a storm, making tins of biscuits for teachers and neighbours. These days, you can buy them from the store, if not cheaper than what you can make but I think if they are homemade, they taste so much nicer and the recipient of the gift appreciates them more.
I was sent a gorgeous array of McCormick Christmas spices to add to my pantry and the first thing I thought of making was some sort of spiced cookie. These pinwheels are so easy to make. (Note to self: don’t try working with butter or chocolate on a really hot, humid day. Leave it until the evening.) I don’t make a Christmas cake because I’d be the only one who ate it. These cookies deliver the same gorgeous taste as a Christmas cake but in a crispy cookie. The cookie dough is your regular sugar cookie dough and I can’t be bothered don’t have enough time to be using cookie cutters to make shaped cookies.
Once you’ve got your cookie dough ingredients mixed, allow 30 minutes to chill in the refrigerator. If it’s a warm day, cut the dough into thirds and use one third at a time to roll out.
Rolling out the dough is a breeze. This is something you can get the kids to help you with. Place the ball of dough between 2 sheets of baking paper. Once rolled, trim the edges, sprinkle with your choice of McCormick spices mixed with sugar and, using the baking paper as a guide, roll the cookie dough into a log.
I chose nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cinnamon. You could crush some whole cloves to add more flavour.
Once rolled, wrap in cling film and chill in the freezer compartment for approximately 30 minutes until quite firm. Slice into 1cm (1/4 inch) slices and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake in a preheated 170 deg C (350 deg F) oven for approximately 15 minutes or until golden.
While still warm, I sprinkled with a little McCormick Vanillin Sugar. (I cooked the end bits for the kids, and me.)
Christmas Spice Pinwheels
- 2 1/2 cups plain flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 250gm unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Spice Mix
- 1/4 teaspoon each of your favourite Christmas spices
- 1/4 cup sugar
- vanillin sugar for sprinkling (optional)
- Mix together flour, baking soda, salt and sugar.
- Melt butter and allow to cool slightly.
- Add egg and vanilla to melted butter and beat well.
- Add to dry ingredient mix and once mixed together, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 170 deg C.
- As per the pictures above, roll out one third of dough into a rectangular shape between two layers of baking paper.
- Trim ends and sprinkle with spice/sugar mix.
- Roll into a log, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Roll remaining two thirds of cookie mixture and repeat rolling steps.
- Remove cookie log from freezer and slice into 1cm (1/4 inch) slices and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Sprinkle with vanillin sugar or more Christmas spice/sugar mix.
- Allow to cool and store.
- Bake remaining cookie dough from freezer as required.
If you’d like to give a gift to someone who already bakes, you can put together one of those gifts in a jar with all the cookie dry ingredients in it, adding all the Christmas spices into the mix. Just add a tag, listing the wet ingredients and layer the dry ingredients in a jar. This makes a lovely gift and a lovely cookie. For the ingredient’s list and how to layer, click here.
For your chance to win one of three McCormick Christmas spice packs PLUS a Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter set, tell me in the comment below what your favourite Christmas cookie is. Don’t forget to add your email address in the comments so I can get back to you if you’ve won.
Congratulations to Claire, Mary and Nicole. You are the winners of the
McCormick Christmas Spice Gift Pack. Your prizes will be out to you in the mail shortly.
Thank you to all who entered.
- This is a game of skill.
- This competition is open to Australian Residents only.
- The prize is ONE McCormick Christmas Spice Pack plus a Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter set. There will be three winners drawn.
- This prize is not redeemable in cash.
- This competition is open from now until midday, Friday, 12 December 2014 AEST.
- The winner will be announced on this blog, Domesblissity Facebook page and Twitter accounts and I will contact you via email.
- The winner will have 7 days to respond, otherwise the prize will be redrawn.
Hi Anne, wow your Christmas spice cookies looks so good. Thanks for sharing the recipe! Happy baking.
Julie
I wish I could enter Ann but never mind – these sound delicious and I might suggest Miss Mac and friends make some as they are trying to raise money for their Prom next year so we have been busy baking cookies and fairy cakes for them to sell at school x
At Christmas I always make Lusikkaleivat, a traditional Finnish cookie. This year I might have to make a batch of Spice Pinwheels as well!
They look lovely Anne. This biscuit I make at Christmas (and only Christmas for some reason) is Gingerbread of course.
They look delicious! Our traditional family favourite to make is shortbread using an old family recipe – sometimes we change it up by making Brown Sugar shortbread, or add some nuts but I like them plain and simple the best! Maybe this year I should sprinkle some Christmas spices on them…
lewisclaire2011@yahoo.com.au
Funny that you post today. I was thinking about you when I drove home from work today. About how much your life had changed and how you took the bull by the horns and got on with it. That sometimes you have to take a break from the norm and then come back refreshed. How is the exercise and activities coordination going? I was blown away by your before and after shots a while ago and wondered if you had continued downsizing. sigh – it is such a struggle. Thanks for the inspiration. Think of you often. Karen
I love White Christmas slice make it every year very addictive I think eat more of it then the kids!
I have to make ANZAC biscuits for Christmas. Not your typical Christmas biscuit I know, but full of memories & love. They were my father's favourites, he was a Digger and he died on ANZAC Day. Just another way to remember him when the family gets together.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
I love my Butternut Snap cookies. Super crunchy and tasty!
There's nothing better than a cinammon gingerbread cookie. It's a great spice mix and delicious.
I can smell the cinnamon..yum. I bake Irish whiskey cookies for the big kids. To be sure, to be sure they have a good Christmas too.
I love to make CHOCOLATE SNOWBALLS for Christmas gifts and visitors. Although they're so good I make them all year too!…
INGREDIENTS
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
75g softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup [approx.] pure icing sugar for coating
PREPARATION
Blend everything – except the icing sugar – in a food processor until it clumps together.
Chill mix for one hour, if time permits, to make rolling easier.
Roll heaped teaspoonfuls into balls then roll heavily in icing sugar… that's HEAVILY
until the layer is thick, white and loose! Do not flatten.
Bake at 175oC for 10 minutes on greased trays.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before lifting.
E: schnoodle52@gmail.com
My favourite christmas cookies were my nana's shortbreads. She would make them every year and we always looked forward to it. I wish she were still here to whip up a batch. I have her recipe but haven't been able to bring myself to bake them yet. I kind of want to keep that memory just as it is.
E: bellefarley@gmail.com
I can never go past my grandma's shortbread recipe… so delicious, an institution at this time of year for my family and holds a lot of wonderful memories.
Thanks for the chance, I have been eyeing off those tree cookie cutters for years!!!!! My email is charlottescotton (AT) gmail (DOT) com
Snowy Chocolate-Mint Cookies, yum!!
Christmas time they are cooking fun.
The kids help out and lick the spoons
Laughing, eating all afternoon!
My kids favourite for xmas treat
in this house we all love SWEET!!
I love gingerbread cookies shaped into Christmas trees – you can place edible silver 'tinsel' on the trees and they look so cool!
Shortbread shapes of stars and trees
Sweet and delicious, they certainly please
Buttery, rich, smooth as silk
I even leave some for Santa to have with his milk!
Gingerbread reindeer is our new favourite! My daughter just adores them
Pepparkakor. These Swedish ginger cookies remind me of my Christmas holiday in Stockholm, where markets, snow and the world's largest Christmas tree captured my heart.
My family all accept that I cannot cook…except for my Christmas fare of puddings, biscuits and spiced nuts…that I can create in spades
Oooh Anne had to repost. Nicola here. Im making Rock cakes as a suprise for my Dad this Xmas (among other goodies). I cant deny the memories the smell of mixed spice triggers. Me in the kitchen as a girl, cooking with mum and everyone eating the warm spoils of afternoons baking. Luv it.
tierneytony2010@hotmail.com
Shortbread!
Cranberry-White Chocolate Almond Biscotti, all the favorite christmas flavours rolled into one mouth watering cookie, they impress and are loved by all
dee.nicolescu@gmail.com ( forgot to ad it)
Yum!! These look fantastic. I totally agree – homemade biscuits are always the best!! Thanks for joining our Fabulous Foodie Fridays party. xx