Finnish Pinwheel Cookies: Fruit-Filled Sugar Cookies
Finnish fruit-filled pinwheel delights are tasty, sweet treats, perfect for the holidays. These tender shortbread artistic cookies with dollops of sweet homemade dried fruit filling are 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!
Servings: 40 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
Traditional Puff Pastry Alternative:
Puff pastry is traditional and common. If you would prefer this option, simply thaw puff pastry, roll it out as described for the cookie dough and follow the same directions in the recipe for shaping and filling the pinwheels. Super quick and easy to make!
Fruit Filling Alternative:
Prune filling is traditional for these pinwheels in Finland. It is thick so it holds up very well keeping its shape as the cookie bakes. You can use other dried fruit 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 store-bought preserves/jam will be “wetter” spreading out on the cookie or tart in the oven as it bakes. Try the prune filling or other dried fruit, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Storage Suggestions:
Store cooled cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage place 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.
OH, NO! Not Enough Filling?
Yes, sometimes this happens. If you get "filling happy" or roll the dough too thin and end up with more cookies than filling, consider a little back-up plan. The recipe is written so that you have just enough filling for each cookie, but if not, you can always use whatever preserves or jam in the fridge OR add another 3-4 ounces of prunes (dried fruit) to the saucepan when you make the filling. You can also make a half batch of another dried fruit. I have done all of the above at different times and come out ahead in the end.