Cherry Pie Cookies

I love baking cookies. And I love coming up with unique combinations like these cherry pie cookies that taste as good as they look. Even better, they aren’t super hard to make.

While I originally made these for my cookie swap this year (along with my heavenly s’mores cookies), I realized they would be absolutely perfect for Valentine’s Day with their pop of red. Ok, who am I kidding? The cherry pie cookies would be great for Fourth of July, a potluck, a cookie swap, or heck, even a Tuesday just because. Why not?

While I made these with some delicious cherry preserves I had on hand, these could be just as tasty with another flavor from raspberry to apricot to mango and more. I wouldn’t go grape jelly type flavors with it, but cherry pie cookies are just as flexible as “real” pie. But even easier to make into a single serving. The next time you’re looking for a fun dessert, who wouldn’t want to play with these pinwheels?

Cherry Pie Cookies

The base for these cherry pie cookies is one of my favorite sugar cookies. I wanted them soft but able to hold up to being shaped as pinwheels with the cherry preserves inside. I also figured that if I’m going to go through the effort of rolling out the cookies and baking them, I may as well make “a few” – the fact that I was making these for my cookie swap had nothing to do with that, I swear.

Mix together your butter and sugar, but don’t cream them. The more you cream your butter with the sugars, the more your cookies will spread, which is not the goal for these. Ensure your butter is at room temperature so it easily mixes with the sugars, but that’s all you want. Add in your egg and mix, again not beating as much as you ordinarily would. Add the vanilla and milk and mix until combined.

Next, add the baking soda and salt, stirring to combine. Next up is the flour, and again you want to mix just until combined.

Once the dough for your cherry pie cookies has come together, cut two large pieces of plastic wrap. Place half the dough onto each piece of plastic wrap and form into two rectangular disks. Ensure the plastic wrap covers them entirely and place in the fridge for two hours.

Once the dough has rested and chilled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly flour your surface to roll them out. Keep one disk in the fridge while you work on the second so that it stays cold. Roll the dough to a rectangle about a quarter inch thick.

Once the dough is rolled out, spread with the cherry preserves almost to the edge on all sides but the very top. At the top leave a half inch or so without the preserves.

Roll your rectangle into a long log. Start with one edge and roll just a touch, sliding down the rectangle to roll, then sliding back once you get to the far end. Continue until the entire rectangle is a log.

Using a serrated knife, slice the log into half inch thick slices. The serrated knife will help ensure the cherry pie cookies don’t get squished as you slice and retain their round shape.

Please the cherry pie cookie circles onto a sil pat or parchment paper lined baking sheet, leaving space between them.

Bake in your oven for 12-15 minutes until just lightly golden. Let cool on a baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling. Repeat with the remaining log and second disk.

Once cooled, enjoy immediately or place in a tightly sealed container on your counter for up to 3-5 days. These will also freeze well for two months. If these delicious cherry pie cookies last that long.

Have you ever had cherry pie cookies? What is your favorite treat to bake?

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