The holiday season is a time for joy, warmth, and, of course, delicious baked goods. Among the many festive treats that adorn our tables, the Poinsettia cookie stands out with its vibrant colors and charming shape, reminiscent of the iconic Christmas flower. These delightful pinwheel cookies are not just a feast for the eyes but also a treat for the palate, offering a perfect blend of rich cream cheese dough and sweet, colorful sugar. Imagine a platter full of these edible flowers, bringing a touch of homemade magic to your holiday gatherings, potlucks, or even as thoughtful edible gifts.
The inspiration for these beautiful cookies comes from Gale Gand’s wonderful cookbook, Short+Sweet. While Gand’s original concept for pinwheel cookies involved pastel sugars and popsicle sticks, ideal for summer parties, it was the intriguing note about Poinsettia cookies that truly captured attention. This innovative twist instantly sparked the idea for a quintessential Christmas cookie, transforming a simple pinwheel into a festive centerpiece that embodies the spirit of the season. This recipe offers a delightful and relatively simple way to create stunning holiday cookies that are sure to impress.
Crafting the Perfect Poinsettia Cookie Dough
The foundation of these Poinsettia cookies is a tender, flavorful cream cheese dough. What makes this dough exceptional is its unique combination of ingredients that yield a rich, slightly tangy, and wonderfully pliable base. To start, you’ll need softened unsalted butter and cream cheese, both crucial for achieving the desired creamy texture. Ensuring they are at room temperature is key, as it allows them to cream together smoothly, creating an emulsified base that holds the other ingredients beautifully. A large egg yolk is then incorporated, adding richness and helping to bind the dough, contributing to its tender crumb.
Once the wet ingredients are perfectly creamed, the dry components enter the scene. All-purpose flour provides the necessary structure, while baking powder acts as a leavening agent, giving the cookies a delicate lift. It’s important to mix these dry ingredients thoroughly but without overworking the dough. Overmixing can develop too much gluten, resulting in a tougher cookie, which is the opposite of the light and tender texture we’re aiming for. The dough comes together quickly and easily, forming a cohesive mass that is a joy to work with.
After all the ingredients are fully incorporated and the dough has formed, gently shape it into a flat disc. This shape makes it easier to handle and roll out evenly later. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Chilling the dough for at least an hour, or even up to two days, is a critical step. This not only makes the dough firmer and less sticky, facilitating easier rolling and cutting, but also allows the flavors to meld together, enhancing the overall taste of the finished cookies. Plan this chilling time into your baking schedule for the best results.
Shaping Festive Poinsettia Pinwheels
When your dough is thoroughly chilled and you’re ready to transform it into beautiful Poinsettia cookies, take half of the dough out of the refrigerator, leaving the other half to remain chilled. Working with smaller portions helps keep the dough cool and manageable. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangular shape, aiming for dimensions of approximately 15×9 inches. Consistency in thickness is important here to ensure even baking. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to trim any irregular edges, creating clean lines for your cookie squares.
Next, carefully cut the large rectangle into 3-inch squares. These squares will form the base of your Poinsettia cookies. Precision at this stage contributes to the neatness of the final cookie. Once cut, transfer these squares to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. A crucial tip from experience: while some recipes suggest an ungreased baking sheet, parchment paper is highly recommended to prevent sticking. Many bakers, including myself, have found that cookies baked directly on an ungreased pan can adhere stubbornly, making removal difficult and potentially damaging the cookie’s delicate shape. Parchment paper ensures an easy release every time.
With your dough squares neatly arranged on the baking sheet, the next step is to prepare them for their signature pinwheel shape. Lightly brush each square with an egg white wash. This wash serves multiple purposes: it helps the colored sugar adhere better, creates a slightly crispier exterior, and gives the cookies a beautiful sheen. Then, with a sharp knife, make diagonal cuts from each corner of the square, stopping about ½ inch from the center. These cuts will create the “petals” of your Poinsettia, ready to be folded.
At this point, if you’re not ready to bake immediately, the prepared dough squares can be stored. Layer them between sheets of wax paper and refrigerate for up to two days, or freeze them for up to two weeks in an airtight container. This makes these Poinsettia cookies an excellent make-ahead option for busy holiday bakers. However, if you’re like me and prefer to see your creations come to life on the same day, proceed directly to the next exciting step: decorating and baking.
Decorating and Baking Your Festive Poinsettia Cookies
The magic truly happens during the decorating phase, where these simple dough squares transform into vibrant Poinsettia blooms. Once you’ve applied the egg white wash and made your diagonal cuts, it’s time for the color. Evenly sprinkle about one teaspoon of colored sugar over each entire square. For a classic Poinsettia look, vibrant red sugar is the go-to choice, but don’t hesitate to experiment with other festive colors like green, white, or even gold. The sugar will cling to the egg wash, creating a glittering, edible surface.
Now comes the shaping. Carefully fold in every other point of the square towards the center, creating a beautiful pinwheel effect. The corners should overlap slightly in the middle. Gently press down on the overlapping corners to seal them together, ensuring they hold their shape during baking. This careful folding is what gives the cookie its distinctive Poinsettia petal appearance, making it a visual delight.
To complete the Poinsettia look, gently press an M&M candy into the very center of the pinwheel, covering the folded-in points. This not only adds a burst of chocolatey flavor but also provides a charming “berry” detail, mimicking the center of a real Poinsettia flower. The classic choice is a green M&M for red-sugared cookies, but you can get creative with any color you desire. Just remember the crucial “pro tip”: try not to snack on all the M&Ms before your cookies are fully decorated! Repeat this process with all remaining dough squares.
Once all your Poinsettia cookies are shaped and decorated, they are ready for the oven. Bake them for approximately 9 to 12 minutes in a preheated oven. Keep a close eye on them, as baking times can vary slightly depending on your oven. The goal is for the cookies to be dry to the touch and just lightly golden around the edges. In my experience, the full 12 minutes often yields the best results, ensuring a perfectly baked cookie with a lovely crisp texture. They will firm up further as they cool, so don’t overbake them expecting them to be hard straight out of the oven.
The beauty of these Poinsettia cookies lies not just in their taste, but also in their incredible versatility and visual appeal. While the classic red sugar with a green M&M center perfectly captures the essence of a Poinsettia, feel free to get creative with your color combinations. I personally love the striking contrast of all-green sugared versions, which still maintain a wonderfully festive look on any holiday platter. Imagine a mix of red and green cookies, creating a vibrant tapestry of holiday cheer.
Beyond traditional holiday colors, these cookies also offer a fantastic opportunity to personalize them for special occasions or even to show off your team spirit. For instance, being from Wisconsin, I often enjoy making “Packer Poinsettias” by using green and gold sugars and coordinating M&Ms. This playful adaptation makes them perfect for game day celebrations during the holiday season or as a fun nod to local pride. The possibilities for color and candy combinations are endless, allowing you to tailor these cookies to any theme or preference.
These Poinsettia cookies are more than just a dessert; they are a delightful way to spread cheer and celebrate the festive season. Their unique shape, vibrant colors, and delicious flavor make them an instant favorite. They are perfect for holiday cookie exchanges, adding a touch of elegance to your dessert table, or simply enjoying with a warm cup of coffee or hot cocoa. Their sturdy nature also makes them excellent for gifting to friends, family, and neighbors. Wrapped in clear cellophane bags with festive ribbons, they make a charming and personal present. These cookies will undoubtedly brighten any Christmas platter and bring smiles to all who enjoy them.
The beauty of homemade treats during the holidays is unmatched, and these Poinsettia cookies are a testament to that. They offer a rewarding baking experience, from mixing the dough to watching the vibrant colors emerge from the oven. Embrace the creativity, enjoy the process, and savor the delicious results. These cookies are truly a seasonal delight that will become a cherished part of your holiday baking tradition for years to come. Make sure to bake a double batch, because they disappear quickly!
Poinsettia Cookies: The Full Recipe
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Poinsettia Cookies
Very Merry!
30
12
42
Ingredients
- 12 TB unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks, softened)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1 large egg (separated)
- 2 cups flour (all-purpose)
- 1 TB baking powder
- 1 cup colored sugar
- *About 30 M&M candies (No snacking until cookies are finished!)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened cream cheese, butter, and egg yolk until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Gradually add the all-purpose flour and baking powder, mixing until just blended to form a cohesive dough. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour (or up to two days) to firm up.
- Once chilled, divide the dough in half. Return one portion to the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the first half of the dough into a rectangle measuring approximately 15×9 inches. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, trim any uneven edges, then cut the rectangle into 3-inch squares. Arrange these squares at least ½ inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Lightly whisk the reserved egg white in a small bowl. Brush each dough square generously with the egg white. With a sharp knife, make diagonal cuts from each corner of the square, stopping about ½ inch from the center.
- Evenly sprinkle one teaspoon of colored sugar over the entire surface of each square. Carefully fold in every other point of the square towards the center, creating a pinwheel shape. Ensure the corners overlap at the center and gently press down to seal them securely. Press one M&M candy into the center of each pinwheel, covering the folded points. Repeat this process with all remaining squares on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies appear dry and are very lightly golden around the edges. (Note: Many ovens require the full 12 minutes for optimal crispness).
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring them. Repeat the rolling, cutting, shaping, and baking steps with the reserved dough to make approximately 30 finished cookies in total.
- Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container, layered between sheets of wax paper, to maintain their crispness and flavor for about 4 days.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 14g |
Protein: 2g |
Fat: 7g |
Saturated Fat: 4g |
Cholesterol: 26mg |
Sodium: 28mg |
Potassium: 63mg |
Fiber: 1g |
Sugar: 7g |
Vitamin A: 249IU |
Calcium: 28mg |
Iron: 1mg
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
More Ideas for Your Holiday Treat Platter
- Cornflake Marshmallow Wreaths
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Nutella Fudge