Those of us who LOVE chocolate know one thing: keeping sugar around is a must to combine with chocolate in a recipe. What to do when you go to your pantry only to find there is too little of white granulated sugar? Well, you can switch over to light or dark brown sugar which actually gives cookies a great flavor. (Might be too heavy a sugar for some cakes.)
Then your hopes are dashed when you realize there isn't even any brown sugar available. You pull down the box or large bag of powdered (confectioner's) sugar. What can you do with this sugar? Most times it's used for icing but in this case you can use it to make pinwheel cookies! Yay!
So, here you find your pantry a bit depleted from the holiday cooking and baking. You really don't feel like yet another trip to the grocery store. Make these lovely cookies from Betty Crocker.
After spending for the holidays these inexpensive cookies are easy on the wallet AND you get a chocolate fix. Doesn't get any better than that! Bake up a few to enjoy right now and freeze the cookie dough for later when someone shows up at your house hungry for a little sweet.
Chocolate Pinwheels
Prep time: 50 minutes
Total time: overnight in the refrigerator, about 10 hours
Makes: about 4 dozen cookies
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/4 cups butter
1 egg
3 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened Hershey's baking cocoa
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chocolate sprinkles, if desired
In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter and egg. Stir in flour and salt.
Divide dough in half. Stir the cocoa into one half. Stir chocolate sprinkles into the other half, if desired.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll half of plain dough into 9 x 8-inch rectangle on lightly floured surface. Repeat with half of chocolate dough; place on top of plain dough. Roll doughs up together tightly, beginning at long side. repeat with remaining plain and chocolate doughs. Wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours. (The butter can make the dough like a little brick if it chills too long.)
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
Nutrition: 1 cookie is 90 calories of which 45 calories are from fat. Nothing like a little reality check! :) Guilt advisor: Remember your New Year's resolution about losing a few pounds. That's why this cookie is so great. Temptation can be relegated to the freezer, tightly wrapped, for up to 6 months! Enjoy!
Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog:
Comfort Food From Louisiana
Photo from BettyCrocker.com
