These black and orange pinwheel cookies are super easy to make with just a handful of simple ingredients and they're perfect for kids. They will make a fun addition to any Halloween party table!
If you're looking for a cute, kid-friendly dessert to make this Halloween, these black and orange pinwheel cookies are just the thing! They are easier to make than they look but will definitely impress your party guests.
For all my beginner bakers, you will find detailed ingredient and equipment notes, step-by-step images and my top tips below. If you're an experienced baker, feel free to skip straight to the recipe card at the end of the post for the condensed version. Enjoy!
Ingredient list
Here's everything you'll need to make these black and orange cookies.
- Butter: Softened, unsalted butter is best. You can soften it by leaving it out at room temperature for 60 minutes before you start baking or you can pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds (being careful not to let it melt).
- Sugar: Caster sugar (also known as superfine sugar) will give your cookies the best texture. You'll need 120g plus a little extra to sprinkle on top.
- Egg: Just 1 medium egg. This will bind the rest of the ingredients together and give a slight leavening effect.
- Vanilla extract: For extra flavour. I used 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract but you could swap 1 of them for orange extract if you fancy something different.
- Baking powder: ½ teaspoon is the perfect amount.
- Flour: Plain or all-purpose flour is what we need. Self-raising flour has slightly too much additional raising agent in it for these cookies. We only want them to puff up a little.
- Food colouring: Food paste or gel will work better than liquid colourings. I used PME Tiger Lily orange and Colour Splash black.
Equipment and tools
- Baking tray: A large one, enough to fit 15-18 cookies.
- Baking paper: To stop your black and orange cookies from sticking to the tray. Of course, if you're using a non-stick tray, you won't need this.
- Mixing bowl: A medium-sized bowl to make the dough in.
- Utensils: You'll need a wooden spoon for mixing and a teaspoon for measuring the vanilla extract. You'll also need dental floss or a serrated knife to cut the cookie dough into slices.
- Plastic gloves: These are not totally essential but they will prevent the food colouring from staining your hands.
How to make Halloween black and orange pinwheel cookies
Step 1: To a mixing bowl, add 120g of softened butter and 120g of caster sugar (imperial measurements are in the recipe card at the end of the post). Beat them together until soft and fluffy.
Step 2: Stir in 1 medium egg and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Step 3: Add 250g of plain flour and ½ teaspoon of baking powder. Mix it in and when the mixture is starting to stick together, use your hands to press it into a ball of dough. If it's a bit sticky, add more flour and if it's too dry, add a small splash of milk to help it come together.
Step 4: Divide the dough into two equal-sized pieces. Add a few drops of black food colouring to one piece and a few drops of orange food colouring to the other. Use gloved hands to knead the colours in until there are no streaks left. You can add more flour as you go if the dough becomes sticky.
Step 5: Between two sheets of baking paper, roll the black dough out into a rectangle that is around ¼-inch thick. Then do the same with the orange dough, trying to make the rectangles roughly the same size.
Step 6: Use the baking paper to lift the black dough up and place it directly on top of the orange dough. Use a knife to trim off any uneven edges to make a perfect rectangle.
Step 7: Starting with the longest side closest to you, roll the dough into a log shape. Refrigerate this for 30 minutes.
Step 8: While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C for fan ovens) and line a large tray with baking paper.
Step 9: Remove the dough from the fridge and use floss or a serrated knife to cut off any uneven edges. Divide the log into 15-18 slices.
Step 10: Place the cookies onto your lined baking tray and bake for around 10 minutes. You'll know they're ready when they're firm to the touch around the edges and soft in the middle.
Step 11: Sprinkle your black and orange cookies with sugar as soon as they come out of the oven. Let them cool on the tray then enjoy!
Top tips
- These Halloween pinwheel cookies are not super sweet so you can add a drizzle of glace icing or spread some buttercream on top if you like.
- Use dental floss for an ultra-clean cut (don't worry, your cookies will not taste minty whatsoever). Just place the floss under the log where you want to cut it then cross the two ends over one another to create a loop. You can watch the video in the recipe card if you're unsure.
- Gel food colouring will give a more vibrant colour than liquids. If your dough becomes sticky after you add the colouring, just add a little more flour.
FAQs
These will last for up to 5 days if you keep them in an airtight container. You can store them in the fridge or at room temperature.
Yes! You can freeze your Halloween pinwheel cookies in airtight containers for up to 3 months. To prevent them from sticking together in the freezer, you can either pre-freeze them on a baking tray and then pop them into a freezer bag, or you can separate them using pieces of baking paper.
I haven't tested this recipe with gluten-free flour so I cannot confirm whether or not it will work. I'd recommend using an already gluten-free pinwheel cookie recipe to ensure success.
More Halloween recipes:
- Halloween shortbread biscuits
- Ghost chocolate strawberries
- Nutella puff pastry mummies
- Halloween fudge
- White chocolate ghosts
- Cookie Monster brownies
I hope you like these black and orange pinwheel cookies. If you make them for your Halloween party, let me know how it goes by leaving a rating and comment below. Enjoy!
Black & Orange Cookies (Halloween Pinwheels)
Ingredients
- 120 g Butter (softened at room temperature) (1 stick)
- 120 g Caster sugar/superfine sugar (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) plus a little extra for dusting
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 1 Medium Egg
- 250 g All-purpose flour (2 cups)
- ½ Teaspoon Baking powder
- Few Drops Black food colouring
- Few Drops Orange food colouring
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter and caster sugar together until smooth. Then mix in the vanilla extract and the egg.
- Add in the flour and baking powder. Mix well and when it's starting to stick, use your hands to press everything together into a ball of dough.
- Divide the dough into two equal-sized pieces. Add black food colouring to one piece and orange food colouring to the other and use your (gloved) hands to gently knead it in until there are no streaks left.
- Between two sheets of baking paper, roll the black dough into a rectangle that's around ¼-inch thick. Repeat with the orange dough, aiming to make it roughly the same size as the black one.
- Use the baking paper to lift up the black dough and place it directly on top of the orange one. Trim off any uneven edges to make a neat rectangle.
- Carefully roll the dough into a log shape, starting with the longest side closest to you. Refrigerate this for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 180°C/350℉ (160°C/320℉ for fan or convection ovens) and line a large tray with baking paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge. Use floss or a serrated knife to cut any uneven edges off the log then divide it into 15-18 equal-sized slices. They will look quite small but they'll puff up as they bake.
- Place the cookies onto your lined tray and bake for around 10 minutes- they should be firm to the touch around the edges and soft in the middle. When they come out of the oven, immediately sprinkle the extra sugar on top.
- Leave them on the tray to cool completely then enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If the dough is too sticky, add more flour. If it’s too dry, add a splash of milk.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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