GF Snickerdoodle Pinwheel Cookies

Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Pinwheel Cookies... Merry Christmas!

This afternoon was our Annual WildFlours GF Christmas Cookie Exchange… there were so many really great cookies on the table!  This year, I was determined to convert a few of our favorite Christmas cookies from years past to a gluten free version.  These Snickerdoodle Pinwheel cookies worked out great on the first try!  They can even be made dairy free very easily.  I used Tofutti dairy-free cream cheese in this recipe with really good results.  Everyone at our Christmas Cookie Exchange really liked them, so I hope you will too…

Merry Christmas!

GF Snickerdoodle Pinwheel Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter (or other non-dairy alternative), softened
• 3 oz. cream cheese (or Tofutti dairy free cream cheese), softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp gf vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups GF Flour Blend
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1 Tbls melted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbls ground cinnamon

Method:

1. In a small bowl, combine the GF Flour blend, xanthan gum, salt and baking powder.  Set aside.
2. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese until soft and light.  Add the 3/4 cup sugar and cream again until well mixed and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides and beating until fluffy again.
4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the reserved flour mixture.  Scrape down the sides and mix again until the dough comes together.  Then, beat on high speed for 30 seconds.
5. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until it is slightly firm, at least a half hour.  Meanwhile, mix the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside.
6. Remove from the refrigerator and roll the dough into a rectangular shape between two sheets of parchment paper to approximately 1/4″ thickness.  Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar mixture, liberally.
7. Starting along one of the long sides, roll up the dough (jelly roll style) into a log and wrap in saran wrap.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.  (Tip:  to avoid a flat side and keep the round shape, store the dough in an empty paper towel tube in the refrigerator.
8. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
9. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap and slice thinly (about 1/4″ thickness) into rounds with a very sharp knife.  Make sure to do this while your dough is still cold.  Transfer the rounds to the prepared cookie sheets.  These do not spread much so you should be able to put 12 cookies on one sheet.
10. Bake in the preheated oven 12-15 minutes, rotating the pans every 5 minutes.
11. When done (they should just be starting to brown and still be a bit soft to the touch), remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!