Hazelnut and Chocolate Pinwheels

I always admired the pinwheel cookies that other people made but never considered trying it myself. I thought it was just too much work. But wait a minute... I'm the person who has made hundreds of perogies, cabbage rolls and pyrizhky and I can tell you it doesn't get any pickier than that.

These do take a bit of patience but the satisfaction of having these pretty little delicacies is so worth it! Just take your time and don't give up if the first ones aren't perfect... they taste as delicious and because you won't want to display them on your Christmas cookie plate, you'll just have to eat them...

Pinwheel Refrigerator Cookies
PREP 45 MIN | TOTAL 1 HR 30 MIN

1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup toasted ground hazelnuts*
2 Tbsp cocoa powder

CREAM together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and blend well.

SIFT flour with salt and add to the butter mixture--blend well.

DIVIDE dough into two balls - making one ball about 1/3 cup smaller.

MIX the hazelnuts with the cocoa and add to the smallest ball of dough. Return to mixer and blend well.

DIVIDE the white dough and form into two flat rectangular shapes about 8 inches long. Divide chocolate dough and form into two flat rectangular shapes about 8 inches long. Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.

ROLL out one piece of the white dough to about a 10 x 8 inch rectangle (rolling it on parchment paper will help to lift it off the counter). Repeat with one chocolate piece.

PLACE one piece of rolled out chocolate dough on top of one white one. With a piece of parchment paper on top, roll gently over the top with a rolling pin to help stick the two pieces of dough together.

START from the 10 inch edge and roll tightly into a 2 inch diameter log and chill again for 30 minutes.

SLICE into 1/4 inch slices, place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes.


*Toasting hazelnuts adds a richer, nuttier flavour. Spread nuts out on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven at 250 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes--stirring several times. Let cool and then grind.

Enjoy!

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