ALMOND PINWHEEL COOKIES RECIPES

Steps:

• Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended, scraping bowl as needed.
• Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
• Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Roll 1 portion of dough into a 12- x 8-inch rectangle on a piece of lightly floured plastic wrap.
• Knead food coloring paste into remaining portion of dough while wearing rubber gloves. Roll tinted dough into a rectangle as directed in Step Invert untinted dough onto tinted dough; peel off plastic wrap. Cut dough in half lengthwise, forming 2 (12- x 4-inch) rectangles. Roll up each rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side, using bottom piece of plastic wrap as a guide. Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze 4 hours or up to 1 month.
• Preheat oven to 350°. Cut ends off each dough log, and discard. Cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick pieces, and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
• Bake at 350° for 6 to 7 minutes or until puffed and set; cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).
• Place Peppermint Frosting in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe about 2 tsp. frosting onto half of cookies; top with remaining cookies, gently pressing to form a sandwich.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line large cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Place 1/2 cup almonds in food processor. Cover; process with on-off pulses until finely ground.
• In medium bowl, break up cookie dough and almond paste. Stir or knead in flour and ground almonds until well mixed. (DO NOT EAT RAW COOKIE DOUGH AFTER COMBINING WITH FLOUR.) Shape dough into 36 (1 1/4-inch) balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. With fingers, flatten each ball to 1 1/2-inch round. Firmly press 3 almonds with pointed ends touching in center of each cookie round.
• Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until edges are set. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool 5 minutes; sift powdered sugar over tops of cookies.. Cool completely, about 20 minutes. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.