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white chocolate pistachio pinwheels

White Chocolate Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies

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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 7 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies

Equipment

  • 2 Mixing bowl
  • 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
  • 1 Rubber spatula
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Measuring cups set
  • 1 Measuring spoons set
  • 1 Kitchen scale optional
  • 2 Baking sheet
  • 2 silicone baking mat or sheet of parchment paper
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 sharp knife or bench scraper
  • 1 plastic wrap roll
  • 1 wire cooling rack

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour leveled
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional
  • 3 ounce white chocolate finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup pistachios shelled, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon milk as needed

Instructions
 

  • Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
  • Beat the softened butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the butter mixture and beat until combined, scraping the bowl.
  • Mix the dry ingredients into the wet on low speed just until a soft dough forms.
  • Divide the dough in half and place one half back in the mixer bowl.
  • Melt half of the chopped white chocolate gently in the microwave in 15-second bursts and cool slightly.
  • Beat the melted white chocolate into the dough half until incorporated, adding 1 teaspoon milk if needed for spreadability.
  • Fold the chopped pistachios and remaining unmelted white chocolate into the other dough half until evenly distributed.
  • Roll each dough half between two sheets of parchment into a 9x12-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick, then chill both sheets for 20 minutes.
  • Remove top parchment from each, place the pistachio-studded dough on the bottom and the white-chocolate dough on top, aligning edges.
  • Use the parchment to help tightly roll the stacked dough from the long side into a log, smoothing and pressing to avoid air gaps.
  • Wrap the log firmly in plastic wrap, twist the ends, and chill until very firm, at least 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
  • Unwrap the dough and slice into 1/4-inch rounds with a sharp knife, rotating the log a quarter turn every few slices to keep it round.
  • Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on prepared sheets and bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes until set and just lightly golden at the edges.
  • Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

For clean spiral definition, keep both doughs similar in firmness before stacking; if one is softer, chill it briefly. Finely chop pistachios so the log rolls smoothly without cracking, and patch cracks with a damp fingertip. If the dough seems crumbly, knead in up to 1 tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. For brighter green, use roasted unsalted pistachios; for saltier contrast, sprinkle a pinch of flaky salt on warm cookies. The log can be wrapped and frozen up to 2 months; slice from frozen and add 1 to 2 minutes to bake time. You can swap in mini white chocolate chips, but finely chopped bars melt and slice more cleanly.
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