These Cranberry Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies have a sweet salty combination using leftover cranberry sauce combined with salty pistachios.
Most of us usually have some Cranberry Sauce leftover after the Thanksgiving dinner and don’t know what to do with it. I do not like to throw away food and so I will usually use it in some other dishes. This year I decided to make these Cranberry Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies with my leftover sauce and I am glad I did. These buttery cookies look festive and are quite delicious.
Other Recipes Using Cranberry Sauce
Here are the other recipes on this blog using leftover cranberry sauce. Do check them out.
1. Cranberry Sauce Pork Loin Roast
2. Cranberry Sauce Skillet Scones
3. Cranberry Sauce Bundt Cake
Choice of Nuts
I purchased shelled, roasted, and salted pistachios from the store. I just chopped them up finely so that they will roll together with the dough. If you prefer other kinds of nuts, do consider pecans or walnuts. I think these two types of nuts will also combine well with the cranberry sauce.
Tools Used in Making These Cranberry Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies
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Hamilton Beach Power Deluxe Hand Mixer
Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Cup and Spoon Set
AirBake Nonstick 2 Pack Cookie Sheet Set, 14in x 12in and 16in x 14in
Kitchenatics 100% Stainless Steel Wire Cooling and Roasting Rack
Cranberry Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter (softened) (1 cup/230g)
- ½ cup sugar (110g)
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (375g)
Filling
- 1 cup cranberry sauce (250g)
- ½ cup pistachios (roasted and finely chopped) (70g)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and salt and beat until combined.
- Beat in milk and vanilla and as much of the flour as you can. Stir in the remaining flour and lightly knead to form a dough.
- Divide the dough in two. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes or until it is easier to handle.
- Roll out one portion of chilled dough between two sheets of wax paper close to a 12-inch x 10-inch rectangle. Trim the edges to make a neat rectangle.
- Spread half the cranberry sauce on the dough and sprinkle half of the chopped pistachios on the top.
- With the help of the wax paper, roll up the dough and filling as tightly as possible.
- Wrap the log in plastic. Repeat with the other portion of dough. Chill the dough logs in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until dough is firm.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove dough logs from the refrigerator.
- Trim off the ends and cut each log with a very sharp knife into ¼-inch slices. Carefully place each slice of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet. You will have to use two cookie sheets.
- Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
- Remove and cool on wire rack. Store in airtight containers and consume within a week.
Nutrition
These festive cookies look really nice on my Christmas Dessert Board. It provided contrast, texture, and a slightly different flavor than the other cookies on the board. I hope you will give it a try especially if you have some leftover cranberry sauce sitting in the refrigerator. If not, you can definitely make a small batch using my Cranberry Sauce recipe. It takes only 20 minutes to prepare and you can make it the day before you make these cookies.
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