These two-bite treats are so versatile for the holidays and so easy to make! The pinwheels start with refrigerated pie dough and add a filling that’s ready in just a few pulses. The result is a flaky crust with a nutty, tangy filling – all topped off with a perfect, sweet icing that hardens nicely for easy storing.
Whether you’re serving these as part of a holiday breakfast or adding them to your cookie tray, they’ll be well received!
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Ingredients
For the pinwheels:
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts
- 2 Tablespoons butter , melted
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons water
For the glaze:
- 5 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1 1/2 -2 teaspoons boiling water
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
Refrigerated pie dough makes these a breeze to put together and since pie dough freezes well, so do these.
If you choose to freeze them, do so after baking before adding the icing drizzle. Add the drizzle after the pinwheels are fully thawed and you’ll never know they were frozen at all!
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Add the cranberries, pecans, sugar, and orange zest and pulse a few times until the cranberries and pecans are chopped to roughly the same size pieces.
- Roll out one of the crusts and spread with 1 Tablespoon melted butter. Add half of the cranberry-pecan mixture and spread evenly over the crust. Roll the crust up tightly and cut into 1/2″ rounds. Place on a baking sheet cut-side down.
- Repeat with remaining pie crust.
- Whisk together the egg and water and brush over all of the pinwheels.
- Bake until golden, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool on the pan for several minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of boiling water. Whisk in the corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. When all well-combined, your icing should a consistency you can drizzle – if it’s too thick, whisk in another 1/2 teaspoon of water.
- Drizzle over the cooled pinwheels and let sit for an hour before serving.
I really like pulsing the filling to the same size rather than chopping it by hand because I feel it makes it much more uniform. It doesn’t have to be really small pieces – just about the same. Having no extra-large pieces in the filling will make the rolling and cutting easier and neater.
When cutting, make sure you use a nice, sharp knife and don’t be afraid to gently mold it back into a round if it smushes during the process.
Friday Cranberry Recipes
As we wrap up our week of cranberry recipes, I’m hoping you found something new you can’t wait to make! I know my saved recipe file has grown, and I’ll be adding more to it today:
- Cranberry Broccoli Slaw by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Christmas Cranberry Martini by Our Crafty Cocktails
- Cranberry Fluff Salad by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Cranberry and Onion Pinwheels by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Cranberry Pecan Pinwheels by Kate’s Recipe Box
- Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti by Sweet Beginnings
- Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders w/ Cranberry Ketchup by Savory Moments
- Pumpkin- Paneer and Cranberry Rolls by Magical Ingredients
- The Madras Cocktail by Family Around the Table
- White Chocolate Cranberry Fudge by House of Nash Eats
Recipe
Cranberry Pecan Pinwheels
Ingredients
For the pinwheels:
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts
- 2 Tablespoons butter , melted
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons water
For the glaze:
- 5 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1 1/2 -2 teaspoons boiling water
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Add the cranberries, pecans, sugar, and orange zest and pulse a few times until the cranberries and pecans are chopped to roughly the same size pieces.
- Roll out one of the crusts and spread with 1 Tablespoon melted butter. Add half of the cranberry-pecan mixture and spread evenly over the crust. Roll the crust up tightly and cut into 1/2" rounds. Place on a baking sheet cut-side down.
- Repeat with remaining pie crust.
- Whisk together the egg and water and brush over all of the pinwheels.
- Bake until golden, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool on the pan for several minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of boiling water. Whisk in the corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. When all well-combined, your icing should a consistency you can drizzle - if it's too thick, whisk in another 1/2 teaspoon of water.
- Drizzle over the cooled pinwheels and let sit for an hour before serving.
Notes
Adapted from Diethood
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