If there were a spice that reminded me of my youth, it would have to be cinnamon. Cinnamon is the thread that binds many of the comfort foods my family embraces. Like Mom's coffee cake, she made whenever we had company. Or Grandma's spice cookies at Easter and sweet tamales at Christmas. There were te de canela (cinnamon tea made from Mexican cinnamon), churros, buñuelos (cinnamon-sugar-topped fried flour tortillas), and hot buttered toast sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. When it was cold out, Mom made Mexican hot chocolate and arroz con leche (Mexican sweet rice). During the hot summer months, we got horchata. There was also Dad's French toast, his pan de pan (a cinnamony Mexican bread pudding made with days-old bread, sugar, raisins, and pineapple), and, of course, all of the end-of-year holiday treats like apple and pumpkin pies.
Editor's note: This post has been updated with step-by-step photos. The recipe was originally published in 20014. To help support this site, this post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
There's also today's cookie recipe that I started baking while in high school for cookie exchanges around the holidays. The basic recipe became committed to memory so long ago that I can't remember how I came to have it.
I love how these little guys hit all my favorite notes of a cinnamon bun, but in cookie form, so they're faster to make without having to wait for a yeasty dough to rise, yet are nonetheless satisfying. I recently started topping them with icing to emphasize the cinnamon bun vibes, but they are just as perfect without it if you prefer.
How to Make Cinnamon Pinwheel Bites, step-by-step
Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon, then set it aside until needed.
Continue beating until light and fluffy.
Sift or whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Add a third of the flour to the butter mixture, incorporating it thoroughly using an electric mixer. Repeat with the second third.
Finally, add the last third using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined.
Pat into a large disc and divide the dough into four equal portions.
Place a large sheet of cooking parchment or waxed paper on your work surface. Dust the parchment and the rolling pin with flour. Working with one disk at a time (leaving the others in the refrigerator until ready to use), roll the disk into approximately a 9-inch by 8-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the surface evenly with ¼ of the cinnamon sugar.
Working from the long side, carefully pull the parchment away from you, keeping it snug against the dough as you slowly and carefully roll the dough onto itself.
Roll it back up in the parchment, tootsie roll-style, pinching the ends closed. Return it to the refrigerator and repeat with the remaining disks. Chill the rolled dough for 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment or use a silicone baking mat. Remove one roll of dough from the refrigerator and slice it into about ⅜-inch thick rounds. Place the slices 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes. Remove cookies from the oven and rest them on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks. Repeat with the remaining rolls of dough. Cool the cookies completely before icing.
To make the icing, combine the icing ingredients in a small bowl. Aim for the consistency of pancake syrup. Drizzle using a teaspoon (or transfer to a resealable bag, snip off a corner, then pipe it onto the cookies). Allow icing to dry and harden before storing.
Cinnamon Pinwheel Bites
Even though a few stages are involved, these cookies are easy to assemble. Don't skip the cream cheese in the dough - it helps keep these cookies soft. You'll need to let the rolled dough chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before slicing and baking.Makes about 5½ to 6 dozen, depending on the size
Ingredients:
½ cup brown sugar4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1¼ cup unsalted European-style butter such as Kerrygold, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, nearly room temperature
1½ cups granulated white sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Zest from one large orange (about 1 tablespoon)
5 cups cake flour (or 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour), plus ½ cup for rolling
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon regular table salt)
For the eggless royal icing:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons cold whole milk, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons corn syrup
¼ teaspoon orange or almond extract
Directions:
Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl or cup; stir and set aside.
Beat butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat again for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated between additions. Beat in the vanilla and zest on medium; set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add a third of the flour to the butter mixture, incorporating it thoroughly using an electric mixer before adding the next third. Mix the second third of the flour with the electric mixer. Finally, add the last third using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined.
Dust a dry work surface with flour and turn out the dough onto the work surface. Flour hands as needed and knead the dough until it holds together and is no longer overly sticky, adding additional flour if needed. Pat into a large disc and divide the dough into four equal portions. Shape each piece into a flat disk and wrap it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Place a large sheet of cooking parchment or waxed paper on your work surface. Dust the parchment and the rolling pin with flour. Working with one disk at a time (leaving other disks in the refrigerator until ready), roll the disk into approximately a 9-inch by 8-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the surface evenly with ¼ of the cinnamon sugar. Working from the long side, carefully pull the parchment away from you, keeping it snug against the dough as you slowly and carefully roll the dough onto itself. Continue rolling and coaxing the dough into a jelly roll. When you reach the other side, pull the paper back and check that the dough is tightly rolled. Roll it back up in the parchment, tootsie roll-style, pinching the ends closed. Return it to the refrigerator and repeat with the remaining disks. Chill the rolled dough for 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment or use a silicone baking mat (my preference). Remove one roll of dough from the refrigerator and slice it into about ⅜-inch thick rounds. Place the slices 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes. Remove cookies from the oven and rest them on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks. Repeat with the remaining rolls of dough. Cool cookies completely before icing.
To make the icing, combine the icing ingredients in a small bowl. Aim for the consistency of pancake syrup. There are a couple of ways to decorate your cookies: a simple drizzle using a teaspoon; snip off a corner from a quart-size resealable bag; add icing and pipe it onto the cookies; use a cake decorating bottle fitted with a small round tip. Allow icing to dry completely before storing. This icing will harden enough to stack the cookies without them sticking together. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to four days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
Beat butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat again for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated between additions. Beat in the vanilla and zest on medium; set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add a third of the flour to the butter mixture, incorporating it thoroughly using an electric mixer before adding the next third. Mix the second third of the flour with the electric mixer. Finally, add the last third using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined.
Dust a dry work surface with flour and turn out the dough onto the work surface. Flour hands as needed and knead the dough until it holds together and is no longer overly sticky, adding additional flour if needed. Pat into a large disc and divide the dough into four equal portions. Shape each piece into a flat disk and wrap it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Place a large sheet of cooking parchment or waxed paper on your work surface. Dust the parchment and the rolling pin with flour. Working with one disk at a time (leaving other disks in the refrigerator until ready), roll the disk into approximately a 9-inch by 8-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the surface evenly with ¼ of the cinnamon sugar. Working from the long side, carefully pull the parchment away from you, keeping it snug against the dough as you slowly and carefully roll the dough onto itself. Continue rolling and coaxing the dough into a jelly roll. When you reach the other side, pull the paper back and check that the dough is tightly rolled. Roll it back up in the parchment, tootsie roll-style, pinching the ends closed. Return it to the refrigerator and repeat with the remaining disks. Chill the rolled dough for 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment or use a silicone baking mat (my preference). Remove one roll of dough from the refrigerator and slice it into about ⅜-inch thick rounds. Place the slices 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes. Remove cookies from the oven and rest them on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks. Repeat with the remaining rolls of dough. Cool cookies completely before icing.
To make the icing, combine the icing ingredients in a small bowl. Aim for the consistency of pancake syrup. There are a couple of ways to decorate your cookies: a simple drizzle using a teaspoon; snip off a corner from a quart-size resealable bag; add icing and pipe it onto the cookies; use a cake decorating bottle fitted with a small round tip. Allow icing to dry completely before storing. This icing will harden enough to stack the cookies without them sticking together. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to four days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
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