Poinsettia Cookies
Poinsettia Cookies – Fun and festive, these are classic sugar cookies with a few extra cuts, folds, and sprinkles! Some red sprinkles and nonpareils transform pinwheel cookies into a holiday treat resembling poinsettia blossoms.
What started as Pinwheel Christmas Cookies, these cookies can be adapted for any occasion by changing the color of the sprinkles. Red and blue for patriotic holidays, pastels for Easter, pink and red for Valentine’s Day, etc.
Pinwheel Christmas Cookies
I first made these pinwheel cookies in November 2012 for a blogger Christmas cookie event. I’ve tweaked the recipe since then to enhance the flavor and texture by using my favorite sugar cookie recipe. This time no frosting is needed, but instead a little cutting, twisting, and sprinkling with colored sugar. I added silver dragees for some sparkle before I realized they were illegal in California! More on that below.
How to Make Poinsettia Cookies
These turn out best when you keep the dough cool and use a sharp knife to make the slices needed to twist the dough into pretty poinsettia blossoms. If the dough gets too soft or you use a dull knife, the dough may not slice nicely. I used a pizza cutter to cut the dough into squares, but a sharp paring knife was better for the shorter cuts.
- Roll about 1/2 of the dough out to a 9 x 9-inch square. I like making it slightly larger, so the dough is about 1/8-inch thick, then using a ruler and a pizza cutter to cut it to size.
- Store the scraps and rest of the dough back in the refrigerator.
- Next, Mark all the sides at 3 inches and 6 inches, so you can cut the square into nine 3 x 3-inch squares.
- Remove each square to a parchment-lined baking pan. Brush all surfaces with a lightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle red sugar in the center of each square of dough.
- Slice on the diagonal from each corner towards the middle stopping about 1/2 inch from the center.
- Next, Fold alternate corners towards the center, then gently pressing where they meet in the center. Add more sugar and dragees if desired.
- Repeat, using the other half of the dough, collecting the scraps to reuse, and place them with the rest of the dough.
- Bake according to the recipe, remove to a cooling rack, then dig in!
Are Dragees Edible?
Well, according to the FDA, dragees are not edible. In fact, they are illegal to sell in California. Silver is one of the ingredients and it has not been deemed safe to eat. So, although there have been no reported deaths from eating these candy decorations, I would not serve them to children. There are plenty of other sprinkles and small sugar decorations that could be used instead.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes:
- Holiday Pinwheel Cookies
- Amish Sugar Cookies
- Pecan Tassies
- Chewy Butterscotch Cookies
- Meringue Cookies
- Plus How to Host a Cookie Exchange
- More Cookie Recipes
- More Holiday Recipes
This recipe was first shared in November 2012. Photos and text were updated in 2021.
The Recipe: Poinsettia Cookies
A yummy, festive sugar cookie that's perfect for the holidays!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg plus one egg white
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
- Red sugar
- Silver dragées
Instructions
- Beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar until well combined.
- Add the whole egg, vanilla, and almond extract and mix until combined.
- Mix in baking powder, salt, and flour just until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll about a third of the dough slightly wider than 9 x 9 and about 1/8 inch thick.
- Using a pizza cutter or knife, trim the dough into a 9 x 9-inch square and then cut the square into nine 3 x 3-inch squares. Put about 6 squares per baking sheet.
- Brush each square lightly with egg whites. Sprinkle red sugar in the center of the square.
- Next, cut the dough diagonally from each corner to about 1/2 inch from the center (4 cuts per square). Fold alternate corners of the square to the center to form a pinwheel. Press points gently to seal.
- Place 3 dragées in the center of each cookie and add more red sugar as needed. Repeat, rerolling any scraps of dough as needed, until all dough is used.
- Place the cookie sheet containing the shaped and unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for a few minutes if the dough gets warm and soft.
- Bake 9-12 minutes or till set. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Can freeze for up to 3 months.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
30Serving Size:
1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 149Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g
