This year I’m greeting Fall with hot coffee in one hand and a Pumpkin Pecan Pinwheel in the other!
These aren’t slam-dunk cookies to make in a hurry, no sirree. These are “impress-your-mother-in-law” cookies, not something to throw together before the kids get home from school in an hour.
It’s not that they’re difficult to make – they’re just a little time consuming because this dough must be chilled thoroughly before baking. You’ll have to mix the two batters and chill them for two hours, roll them up together and freeze for one hour before slicing and baking.
In this case, patience will be rewarded with gorgeous spicy pumpkin cookies with a swirl of chewy pecan…worth the effort, right?
The pecan filling is sort of magical. It gets spread out on the rolled up pumpkin cookie dough, and is – well – sloppy looking. Even after being sent to the freezer for an hour time-out, it oozes a bit when you slice the roll, and it’s hard not to think you’ve really messed up. Trust me! The egg whites in the pecan mixture cause it to puff up just perfectly, holding the cookie together in a most delicious way.
The meringue-like filling puffs and fills the spiral.
I like to put a light glaze on the cookies after they’ve cooled. Simply whisk water into 1/2 cup of powdered sugar until it’s fairly thin, then brush it on each cookie. Allow the glaze to dry completely before you put the cookies into an airtight container.
Here’s something I learned about these cookies: THEY TASTE MUCH BETTER THE SECOND DAY! Seriously, they do. Tuck them into an container or put them on a plate and cover them with foil or plastic wrap. The flavors blend and are more intense on Day 2, and they’re also softer. So now I guess what I’m telling you (I know…bossy, bossy, bossy) is that you not only have to plan on having plenty of time to make the cookies, you should plan ahead and make them a day before you need them.
Still worth it!
| Pumpkin Pecan Pinwheels | Print |
- COOKIE DOUGH:
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup solid-pack pumpkin
- ¼ cup sour cream
- PECAN FILLING:
- 1 large egg and 2 egg whites
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch salt
- 2 cups finely chopped, toasted pecans (Toast by stirring in a skillet over low heat for 5 minutes or in the microwave for 90 seconds, stirring several times.)
- GLAZE (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Water
- COOKIE DOUGH:
- In a large bowl, thoroughly cream the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar.
- Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
- Sift the dry ingredients together.
- Stir the pumpkin and sour cream together.
- Beginning with the dry ingredients and ending with the wet, add alternately, scraping bowl each time.
- Dough will be very soft and sticky. Place in a small bowl, cover, and chill for at least 2 hours.
- PECAN FILLING:
- Beat egg and egg whites until frothy.
- Gradually add sugar, beating constantly. Beat for 3 minutes. (Important - don't skip this step!)
- Add vanilla, salt, and pecans and stir well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- On generously floured parchment, roll dough into 10-inch by 13-inch rectangle.
- Stir pecan mixture and spread over the dough, almost to the edges.
- For large cookies, begin rolling from the short end. For smaller cookies, begin rolling from the long end, brushing excess flour from the roll as you proceed.
- Roll up in the parchment and place the roll on a baking sheet. Put in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Heat oven to 375 F.
- With a sharp knife, cut into slices approximately ¼-inch to ⅓-inch thick and place on parchment covered baking sheet. Gently coax any flat sides into a round shape!
- Bake for approximately 14 minutes, or until light golden brown.
- Cool on baking rack.
- When cool, combine enough water with the powdered sugar to make a thin glaze. Brush onto cookie with a pastry brush. Allow cookies to dry completely before sealing in container.
Make sure you toast the pecans; then chop them finely.
Spread the pecan mixture on the rolled dough.
Roll, roll, roll!
Baked to a delicate golden brown.
See? Not hard at all. I’m thinking they’d be wonderful dunked in hot cocoa; I may have to give that a try.
Happy Fall! Hang around, because I’ve had one of those middle of the night brainstorms that may come together soon. Hope so, because it involves apples. And pastry. And caramel. And, hint: it’s not a pie.
Lorinda
You hit all the right autumn notes with these sweeties: pecan filling AND pumpkin! I can see these being a big hit at any gathering this time of year. After an apres Thanksgiving dinner nap, one or two of these would be tasty along with that hot cocoa.
Thank you, Mary Rose! Yep – I was thinking Thanksgiving too. I’m fixated on pecans right now. Must.Stop.Obsessing. 😉