Cookies or mini tarts? Finnish fruit-filled pinwheels are tasty, sweet treats, perfect for the holidays. This version made with a tender shortbread artistic cookie dough and dollops of sweet homemade dried fruit filling is a must try. While prune filling is traditional, you can use your favorite dried fruit instead like cranberries, cherries, blueberries, dates, apricots, or figs. Why not add these pretty, winter treats to your cookie platter? They are quite addicting!
Description of Finnish Pinwheels
Finnish pinwheels are eaten all over Finland and Sweden during the Christmas season. They are generally simple tarts made with flaky puff pastry shaped into a star or pinwheel with dollops of thick prune jam (or apple) in the center and dusted with powdered sugar. These elegant little delights are thought to have been around since the 18th century.
Recipes Vary for Finnish Pinwheels
Well-known holiday Finnish Pinwheel cookies or tarts are called “Joulutorttu” in Finland. “Joulutorttu” simply means “yule tart”. Depending on the “crust”, they may resemble more of a tart or a cookie. Recipes vary from a simple 3-ingredient short bread of flour, ricotta cheese, and butter, to the traditional puff pastry crust, to a tender sugar cookie. Puff pastry is the most common version resulting in a very light and flaky simple pastry, super easy to make if the puff pastry is commercially purchased. Whatever the recipe, you end up with a fabulous tasting and elegant looking dessert.
My Version of Finnish Pinwheels
If I wanted to make a quick and easy Finnish pinwheel tart, I would buy puff pastry, roll it out, cut it into squares, shape each square into pinwheels, and fill each with a simple thick prune jam. However, that was too easy for my baking adventure. While I do make my own puff pastry that I will share soon, for this dessert, I really wanted a sugar cookie base made from scratch. Here it is! For my Finnish pinwheel version, I went for a homemade soft and light tender cookie base using cream cheese resembling our favorite sugar cookie. We absolutely love these! Let’s check them out.
Finnish Pinwheels (Cookie Instead of Tart): Ingredients
For the ingredients, to make the filling, you’ll need pitted prunes or preferred dried fruit, granulated sugar, and water. You can simply buy puff pastry and follow the recipe directions for making the pinwheel shapes OR make the pinwheels into cookies. If making the cookie dough, you’ll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cream cheese, butter, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla.
Make the Dried Fruit Filling
Mix the Ingredients
This dried fruit filling is made like the traditional prune jam found in Finnish pinwheel tarts. In a medium saucepan, add 283 grams (10-ounce pkg) of pitted prunes or other dried fruit, 50 grams (¼ cup) of granulated sugar, and 118 milliliters (½ cup) of tap water. As an aside, I also made a half batch of cranberry filling following the recipe but replacing the prunes with dried cranberries. Any dried fruit with similar texture should work in this recipe.
TIP: This recipe calls for enough filling for all of the cookies, but if you get “filling happy” or end up with more cookies because they were rolled out too thin, you might need a back-up plan. You can add an additional 3-4 ounces of dried fruit to the filling recipe OR make a half batch of another dried fruit in addition. I have also just used store-bought preserves in my fridge when I ran out of the dried fruit filling (that’s the easiest!). All the above work just fine.
Cook over Stove to Soften
Heat the dried fruit on medium-high heat until boiling. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until the prunes have softened and can easily break down. Add additional water if needed to maintain moisture and prevent the dried fruit from drying.
Break Down Softened Fruit
Remove the prunes from the heat and place them in a food processor. Pulse until desired consistency or smooth enough to dollop on the center of a cookie or tart. Add an additional tablespoon of water to smooth out the mixture if needed. Spoon the mixture in a bowl, cover, and place in the fridge to cool until ready to use.
TIP: The filling will firm as it cools, so you might add an additional tablespoon of water while breaking them down in the food processor. The filling should be sticky and dense. Refrigerate for up to several days.
Make (from Scratch) Cookie Dough
Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add 360 grams (3 cups) of all-purpose flour, 4 grams (1 teaspoon) of baking powder, and 3 grams (½ tsp) of salt. Mix the ingredients until combined.
Blend the Wet Ingredients
In a stand mixer or large bowl, add 226 grams (8 ounce /1 package) of softened cream cheese and 113 grams (1 stick / ½ cup) of softened butter. Use the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer to blend them together for about a minute on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add 200 grams (1 cup) of granulated sugar and blend again until smooth. Add 1 beaten egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Blend again until light and fluffy.
TIP: If the butter is not soft enough, dice it first and heat it in microwave for 10 seconds. Dicing the butter ensures an even softness as it heats.
Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients & Cool Dough to Firm
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until well blended. Divide the dough by using a sturdy spoon to scoop out dough into two halves each onto plastic wrap. Loosely cover each dough half and shape each into a rough square. Wrap Refrigerate both halves for 1-2 hours until firm or overnight.
Roll & Stamp Dough (Homemade Cookie Dough or Puff Pastry)
Preheat Oven & Prepare Pans
Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Roll out Dough & Stamp out Cookies
Roll out Dough
Remove one of the wrapped dough squares from the fridge. Unwrap it and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin and roll out the square into a rectangle about ⅛-inch thick. Keep the work surface well-floured to prevent the dough from sticking.
TIP: If you opt for puff pastry instead of cookie dough, then you can follow the directions from here on in the recipe when it comes to the dough.
Stamp out 3-inch Square Cookies
Use a 3-inch square cookie cutter and stamp out cookie squares. Alternatively, you can use a sharp knife and free hand (or use a stencil or object like a lid that you can trace) and cut out 3-inch squares.
TIP: I used a spice container for my 3-inch square cutter. 😉 Totally works!!
Make the Finnish Pinwheels
Cut Slits in Each Cookie Dough Corner
Use a knife and cut each dough corner diagonally. Cut halfway down (~1 inch) towards the center of each square.
Dollop Filling in the Center of Each Cookie
Place a teaspoon of fruit filling in the center of each cookie. At this point, it is noticeable that a thick, dried fruit filling works better than a wet, thin jelly because it’s thick enough to maintain its shape and will not haphazardly spread over the flat cookie.
Form into Pinwheel Shapes
Lift every other slit corner. Fold it in until it meets in the center of the cookie over the filling. Pinch to seal the corners where they meet to create a pinwheel or star shape leaving the remaining corners as the external points. Repeat with remaining dough.
TIP: Keep a small bowl of water near the work surface. If the corner points are not sticking to each other, dip a fingertip in the water and dab the corner point to moisten it. The damp corner should cause the dough points to stick when pressed.
Place & Bake
Place cookies on the baking sheet about an inch apart. You should get 12 cookies on each cookie sheet. Once the baking sheet is filled, place the cookies in the preheated oven and bake for 14-15 minutes or until the edges are barely golden brown. The bottoms should be light brown while the tops are still pale except for the pinwheel tips where you’ll see a little color.
TIP: If using puff pastry, the pastry should be puffed, crispy, and golden brown all around.
Cool & Enjoy!
Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes. Then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. To serve, place cookies on a serving platter and dust with powdered sugar.
TIP: If using puff pastry, the tarts are best eaten the day they are made as puff pastry will soften.
Close Up Time!
The cookies hold their shape and filling well. They are pretty for a simple shape. While the bottoms are light brown, the tops maintain a pretty pale color. The powdered sugar resembles snow for the season (at least in the Northern Hemisphere in cooler climates 😉). When you tear into a cookie, they are soft and tender thanks to the butter and cream cheese. While soft, the cookies are sturdy enough to hold the weight of the filling. The filling is chewy, sturdy, and a little sticky but perfect for maintaining its shape for easy eating and transport. Notice the difference in color and texture between the prune filling and cranberry filling; the prune filling is thick, dark in color, and sticky while the cranberry is dark red and contains lots of small seeds. Both of these make wonderful holiday gifts.
Storage Suggestions
Store cooled cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, keep them in a sealed bag or container in the freezer for up to several months. The sugar cookie stays fresh for many days at room temperature. Puff pastry softens and should be consumed quickly after baking.
Finnish Pinwheels: Final Thoughts
Prune filling is traditional to this Finnish tart or cookie. It is thick so it holds up very well keeping its shape as the cookie bakes. However, you can add whatever dried fruit or preserve that makes you happy. You can use several other dried fruits for multiple flavors and colors to create a pretty holiday platter. You might consider using a regular preserve or jam in place of the prune or dried fruit filling, but I found that store-bought preserves or jam is “wetter” causing spreading in the oven as it bakes thus it doesn’t hold its shape well. I have also found that regular preserves or jam has a stronger, overpowering flavor that dominates the cookie. Try the prune filling or other dried fruit, you might be pleasantly surprised. We find these cookies very addicting and hope you agree. 😊
Finnish Pinwheels: Baker’s Perspective
As an non-artistic individual, I was hesitant to attempt “the pinwheel”. However, once I understood the simple steps, piece of cake! With that step under my belt, the rest of the recipe was fairly easy to create and make. I created a simple, basic sugar cookie but with the “special” cream cheese ingredient. The cream cheese produces a soft cookie and is “the” ingredient for me in a really good sugar cookie. The dried fruit filling is simple with only 3 ingredients requiring a little cooking on the stove but nothing strenuous.
What’s great about this recipe, is the option to break up the multiple steps. You can spread out the steps over several days spending little time in the kitchen during each step. Make the filling and cookie dough a day or two ahead of time (not necessarily on the same day). On baking day, simply roll out the dough, make the pinwheels, and bake. It’s like fancy store-bought cookie dough in a package. This can be a fun baking activity to do with the kids! To make these even easier, buy puff pastry from the store and follow the recipe directions foregoing any homemade cookie batter.
Finnish Pinwheels: Taster’s Perspective
Did I say these cookies are addicting? I have to freeze these cookies and only remove a couple at a time to thaw or else… 😊. For me the love for these lies in the beautiful combination of a sticky, somewhat dense, fruity center with a soft sweet, mildly tangy, cookie. The textures and flavors are well balanced. I was somewhat hesitant about a prune filling because in my world growing up, only my grandparents ate prunes. Hold the laughs!! I was schooled… for sure, in making this recipe!! Prunes are actually really good when prepared in this cookie… thank you Finland! The prune filling is chewy and very mild in flavor creating a nice marriage with the soft cream cheese cookie. The cream cheese, though mild, adds a nice tang to the overall sweetness and fruity tartness.
I also made a small batch of these Finnish pinwheels with softened, pulsed, dried cranberries in place of prunes. The flavors are quite different. While the prunes are very mild in flavor, the cranberries added almost a puckery tartness to the cookie, though very pleasant. I think most dried fruit or combination of fruit would work well in this cookie. Have fun with the flavors! 😉
Check out my YouTube video on each step of making this cookie. “Finnish Pinwheel Fruit-Filled Tender Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies: Elegance with Simplicity.”
Finnish Pinwheel Cookies: Fruit-Filled Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Prune (Dried Fruit) Filling:
- 283 g (10 oz pkg) pitted prunes or other dried fruit- cranberries, cherries, apricots, figs, dates, etc.
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 118 ml (½ cup) water
Cookie Dough: (For a more traditional Finnish Pinwheel, you can use puff pastry instead of cookie dough and follow the recipe's directions for Roll, Shape, and Fill the Pinwheels)
- 360 g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 4 g (1 tsp) baking powder
- 3 g (½ tsp) salt
- 226 g (8 oz /1 pkg) cream cheese softened
- 113 g (1 stick / ½ cup) butter softened
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
Make the Prune (Dried Fruit) Filling:
- In a medium saucepan, add prunes, sugar, and water. Heat on medium-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until the prunes have softened and can easily breakdown. Add additional water if needed to maintain moisture.
- Place the prunes in a food processor and pulse until desired consistency (smooth enough to dollop on the center of a cookie). Place in the fridge to cool until ready to use.TIP: You may add 1 tbsp of water or so to ensure a stiff but smooth texture.
Make the Cookie Dough: (You can skip this step if using puff pastry.)
- In a medium bowl, add the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined.
- In a stand mixer or large bowl, add cream cheese and butter. Use the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer to blend them together about a minute on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and blend again until smooth. Add egg and vanilla. Blend again until light and fluffy.TIP: If the butter isn't soft, dice it and microwave it for 10 seconds or until just softened. Dicing the butter first keeps it about the same temperature and softens equally.
- On low speed, gradually add flour mixture until well blended. The dough will dense and sticky.
- Use a sturdy spoon to scoop out the dough dividing it in half, each on a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap each dough half loosely and shape each half into a rough square. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until firm or overnight.
Roll, Shape, & Fill Pinwheels:
- Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
- Remove one of the wrapped dough squares from the fridge. Unwrap it and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin and roll out the square into a rectangle about ⅛-inch thick.TIP: Maintain a well-floured surface as you roll to ensure the cutout cookies can be removed easily. They should be able to rotate on the work surface.
- Use a 3-inch square cookie cutter and stamp out cookie squares.TIP: Alternatively, you can use a sharp knife and free hand (use a stencil or something like a lid that you can trace) and cut out 3-inch squares. A 3-inch metal spice container works very well, too.
- Use a knife and cut each cookie corner diagonally, halfway down (~1 inch) towards the center. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each square.
- Lift every other slit corner and fold it in until it meets in the center of the square over the filling. Pinch to seal the corners where they meet to create a pinwheel or star shape leaving the remaining corners as the external points. Repeat with remaining dough.TIP: If the corners aren't sticking together, dab a finger in a little water and touch the corner to create a wet surface for the dough corner to stick.
- Place cookies on the baking sheet 1-inch apart. You should be able to get 12 cookies per cookie sheet.
Bake the Pinwheels:
- Once the baking sheet is filled, place cookies in the preheated oven and bake for 14-15 minutes or until the edges are barely golden brown. The tops should still be pale while the bottoms will be lightly brown.TIP: If using puff pastry, the pastry should be puffed, crispy, and golden brown all around.
- Cool cookies on baking sheet for a couple of minutes. Then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. To serve, place cookies on a serving platter and dust with powdered sugar. They are great given as gifts for the holidays.TIP: If using puff pastry, the tarts are best eaten the day they are made as puff pastry will soften.
Video
Notes
Check out these holiday recipes.
Vegetarian Tamales: Vegan & Meat Friendly
Holiday Rolled Baklava: Pistachios, Pomegranates, & Orange
Holiday Squash & Cranberry Muffins
Grandma’s Crispy Crust Moist Skillet Cornbread
Canadian Tourtière: Holiday Meat Pie
3 Simple & Flavorful Pie Crusts
Sweet Potato Swirled Babka Bread
Venezuelan Pan de Jamón (Ham Bread)
Grandma’s Yeast Rolls (The Berry Family Recipe)
French Pain d’Épices (Spice Bread)
Greek Vasilopita New Year’s Cake
Spanish King Cake (Rascón de Reyes Epiphany Bread)
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