Double Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

I like the challenge of baking a really complicated cake from time to time, but nothing beats the pleasure of preparing something that is really simple and yet amazing. Anyone can prepare wonderful treats at home in very little time!

I was flicking through Retro Cakes and Cookies cookbook by Wendy Sweetser last week and I was attracted by the Double Chocolate Pinwheel cookies on the cover. The book is full of classic and simple recipes I love.

I made Green Tea Pinwheels this winter and at the time I cut thin cookie slices, which then spread in the oven, losing a bit of their swirl motif. So this time I cut thick 1 cm slices. Also the new recipe doesn't have eggs or baking powder and the result is a firm and crumbly cookie, which holds perfectly during baking.

I reduced the ingredients slightly from the original recipe and I still managed to make 20 cookies. I struggled to stop my husband from eating them all as I took them out of the oven! Luckily I saved enough cookies for my friends to try last night (they all loved them)! :)

Ingredients

(makes 20 small cookies)

Dark chocolate cookie layer:

45g dark chocolate
45g unsalted butter, softened
45g caster sugar
130g plain flour
1-2 tbsp milk

White chocolate cookie layer:

45g white chocolate
45g unsalted butter, softened
45g caster sugar
130g plain flour
1-2 tbsp milk

Preparation

Start with the dark chocolate layer. Melt the chocolate at bain-marie, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Stir in the chocolate, then sift in the flour and beat everything together until combined. Bring the mixture together with your hands, adding enough milk to make a soft dough that is not too dry and crumbly.

Make up the dough for the white chocolate layer in the same way, then wrap both pieces of dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Roll out both pieces of dough on a lightly floured work surface. Carefully lift the white chocolate dough and place on top of the dark chocolate dough. Trim any rough edges neatly and roll up from one short side.

If any cracks appear in the dough while you're rolling, press these back together with your fingers. Wrap the roll in clingfilm and chill again for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 170 °C and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Take the rolls out of the fridge, remove the clingfilm and, using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 1 cm slice.

Place on the baking tray and bake for about 14-15 minutes (flipping them carefully to the other side half way through). Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch.

Cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes, before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container (if you manage not to eat them all in one day...).