Your family and friends are going to love the swirl design of these beautiful Vanilla and Chocolate Swirl Cookies.   They’ll look amazing in any cookie tray you put together this holiday season. 

Vanilla Chocolate Swirl Cookies

Are you visiting today from Malinda’s blog, Countryside Cravings? Didn’t those Gingerbread Pancakes look amazing? I’m happy you’re joining me today as I continue my 12 Days of Christmas Celebration with these beautiful Vanilla Chocolate Swirl Cookies! 

This week I’m joining the Christmas Festival Blog Hop hosted by my friend Kendra at Joy In Our Home! Each day a different blogger is sharing a beautiful Christmas idea or recipe. My contribution is this delicious recipe for Vanilla Chocolate Swirl Cookies. 

All of the other projects are linked at the end of this post, so make sure you spend a little time checking out what these talented bloggers are sharing with our fun blog hop. We’re all sharing our best and favorite Christmas ideas with you this week! 

12 Days of Christmas Celebration

To continue with our celebration, I’ve updated a very old recipe on the blog that I know you’re going to love!  I first shared this recipe seven years ago and let me tell you, it really need to be updated.  Here’s a photo collage of what everything looked like way back in 2011: 

Tips for Making Vanilla Chocolate Swirl Cookies: 

Please don’t let the lengthy instructions for this recipe scare you away.  It’s really an easy recipe to prepare!

• Make sure you allow the cocoa powder to mix completely with the vanilla dough so it does not have a marbled look. 
• Allow the dough to chill the recommended time.  If you try to roll out the layers with warm dough, you will have a mess. 
• If the dough starts to crack while you are rolling the layers together, don’t worry!  Just pinch the dough together and keep rolling.  
• Allow the dough to chill a second time before slicing.  
• Once the dough has been rolled up into log shapes, you can freeze it for up to three months.

 Helpful Kitchen Tools: 

These are my favorite kitchen tools for any cookie recipe. 

• Baking Sheet Set
• KitchenAid Mixer – really any mixer will do.  Even a handheld mixer.  But I love my KitchenAid and think it would make a lovely gift this time of year. 
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons

 How to Make Vanilla Chocolate Swirl Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups butter softened
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until it’s smooth. Add the sugars and blend until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and beat for another minute or until it is combined.  

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture one third at a time, stirring well after each addition until the dough is evenly blended. Divide the dough in half, keeping one half of the dough in the mixer and setting the other half aside while you prepare the chocolate layer.

Add the unsweetened cocoa powder to the mixer and combine until it is fully incorporated.  This may take a few minutes, but take your time and make sure the cocoa powder is full incorporated into the vanilla dough so you get a true chocolate color. 

Remove the chocolate dough from the mixer and divide the chocolate dough into TWO pieces. Form each chocolate piece of dough into 1/2 inch thick squares and wrap them individually in plastic wrap.

Divide the vanilla dough into TWO pieces, form each vanilla piece of dough into 1/2 inch thick squares and wrap them individually in plastic wrap.

You should now have two squares of chocolate dough and two squares of vanilla dough all wrapped individually. Refrigerate all four squares of dough until firm; about one to two hours.

Unwrap one piece of the chilled vanilla dough leaving it on top of the plastic wrap.

Cover it with a second piece of plastic wrap, then using a rolling pin, roll out the vanilla dough into a rectangle measuring about 9X12 inches. If the dough gets too soft and difficult to roll, simply slide it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until it’s firm again; no longer than 10 minutes.

Unwrap one piece of the chilled chocolate dough, leaving it on top of the plastic wrap. Cover it with a second piece of plastic wrap, and roll it out into a 9X12 inch rectangle shape as well.

Remove the top pieces of plastic wrap from both the vanilla rolled dough and the chocolate rolled dough. Carefully invert the chocolate dough on top of the vanilla dough. Remove the top piece of plastic wrap from the chocolate dough. Gently roll over the top of both layers with a rolling pin to make the doughs slightly stick together.

Starting at one end, lift the vanilla dough up by the plastic wrap underneath and roll up the doughs into one big log, pressing gently as you roll to help adhere both layers together and peeling the plastic wrap away as you roll.

Wrap the log in a fresh piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for another 2 hours. Repeat this process with the remaining piece of vanilla and chocolate dough.

How to Slice the Cookies

I promise you, we’re almost done!  This is the easy part…slice and bake the cookies! Remove the logs from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Lay the log on a cutting board and slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds.

Place the cookie slices onto a baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 13 minutes. The cookies will still be a little soft to the touch and slightly brown on the edges. 

Let cool slightly on a baking rack before enjoying!  

Now, don’t these Vanilla and Chocolate Swirl Cookies look amazing?  And they taste pretty amazing too! 

Beyond the Butter is up next.  You don’t want to miss the yummy recipe she’s sharing with you.  And don’t forget to check out the other Christmas posts by clicking on the links below. 

Then check back for the rest of the weeks Christmas Festival.

Christmas DIYs on Monday

Joy In Our Home | 2 Bees In A Pod | My Creative Days

County Road 407 | Chatfield Court

Christmas Front Porches on Tuesday

The Tattered Pew | The Crowned Goat | Little Brags

Follow The Yellow Brick Home | The Painted Hinge 

Christmas Recipes on Wednesday

Crisp Collective | Love In My Oven | Countryside Cravings 

Walking On Sunshine Recipes | Beyond The Butter 

Christmas Mantles on Thursday 

anderson + grant | White Arrows Home | Elizabeth Joan Designs 

  City Girl Meets Country Boy | Red Brick On The Lake

Christmas Tablescapes on Friday

The Inspired Hive | Curly Crafty Mom | Making It In The Mountains

Rain and Pine | Timeless Creations

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Vanilla and Chocolate Swirl Cookies

Print

Vanilla and Chocolate Swirl Cookies are a fun pinwheel cookie that your family and friends are going to love!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

Chilling Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 43 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter; softened
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder together.
2. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until it's smooth.
4.  Add the sugars and blend until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the vanilla extract and beat for another minute or until it is combined. 
6. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture one third at a time, stirring well after each addition until the dough is evenly blended.
7. Divide the dough in half, keeping one half of the dough in the mixer and setting the other half aside while you prepare the chocolate layer.

How to Prepare the Chocolate Layer:

1. Add the unsweetened cocoa powder to the mixer and combine until it is fully incorporated. This may take a few minutes.
2. Remove the chocolate dough from the mixer and divide the chocolate dough into TWO pieces.
3. Form each chocolate piece of dough into 1/2 inch thick squares and wrap them individually in plastic wrap.
4. Divide the vanilla dough into TWO pieces, form each vanilla piece of dough into 1/2 inch thick squares and wrap them individually in plastic wrap.
5. You should now have two squares of chocolate dough and two squares of vanilla dough all wrapped individually.
6. Refrigerate all four squares of dough until firm; about one to two hours.

How to Roll Out the Cookies:

1. Unwrap one piece of the chilled vanilla dough leaving it on top of the plastic wrap.
2. Cover it with a second piece of plastic wrap, then using a rolling pin, roll out the vanilla dough into a rectangle measuring about 9X12 inches.
3. If the dough gets too soft and difficult to roll, simply slide it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until it's firm again; no longer than 10 minutes.
4. Unwrap one piece of the chilled chocolate dough, leaving it on top of the plastic wrap.
5. Cover it with a second piece of plastic wrap, and roll it out into a 9X12 inch rectangle shape as well.
6. Again, if the dough gets too soft and difficult to roll, simply slide it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until it's firm again.

How to Form the Cookie Dough into a Log Shape:

1. Remove the top pieces of plastic wrap from both the vanilla rolled dough and the chocolate rolled dough.
2. Carefully invert the chocolate dough on top of the vanilla dough.
3. Remove the top piece of plastic wrap from the chocolate dough.
4. Gently roll over the top of both layers with a rolling pin to make the doughs slightly stick together.
5. Starting at one end, lift the vanilla dough up by the plastic wrap underneath and roll up the doughs into one big log, pressing gently as you roll to help adhere both layers together and peeling the plastic wrap away as you roll.
6. Wrap the log in a fresh piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for another 2 hours.
7. Repeat this process with the remaining piece of vanilla and chocolate dough.

How to Bake the Cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Remove the logs from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap.
3. Lay the log on a cutting board and slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds.
4. Place the slices onto a baking sheet that's been lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 13 minutes.
6. The cookies will still be a little soft to the touch and slightly brown on the edges. 
7. Let cool slightly before enjoying.

Notes

Once the dough has been rolled up into log shapes, you can freeze it for up to three months.

Recommended Products

• 
  3-Piece Baking Sheet Set
• 
  KitchenAid Mixer
• 
  Measuring Spoons
• 
  Stainless Steel 6 Piece Stackable Set Measuring Cups

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

48

Serving Size:

1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 101 Total Fat: 5.9g Saturated Fat: 3.7g Cholesterol: 15mg Sodium: 52mg Carbohydrates: 11.6g Fiber: 0.4g Sugar: 5.3g Protein: 1g