Cranberry Sourdough Pastry Pinwheels

I love it when a recipe is born from leftover ingredients!

This recipe for tart and jammy Cranberry and Sourdough Pastry Pinwheels came about when I found myself with an extra pie crust pastry and a whole bunch of dried cranberries.

I really love my new Sweet and Buttery Sourdough Pie Crust. It tastes like a less sweet shortbread cookie. I used some of the dough to cut beautiful decorative fall leaves for my Date-Sweetened Winter Squash Pie.

We all loved snacking on these flaky buttery leaves so much that I decided to try to turn the extra pastry into a fall/winter cookie. What better filling than the plump fruit-sweetened dried cranberries I had picked up for winter baking!

While the ingredients are few, this recipe does take a little bit of technique, so I’ve included step-by-step photographs so you can follow along and make these beautiful pinwheel cookies!

The very first step is to make the Sweet and Buttery Sourdough Pastry. The pastry takes time to ferment so make sure to read the directions and plan accordingly! This cookie recipe uses a half batch of the pastry so you can either make an open pie or a second batch of cookies, or freeze the other half of the dough for future use!

Once the pastry dough is prepared and ready to be rolled, make the cookie filling.

Add the cranberries and fruit-sweetened preserves to your food processor and blend them into a thick jammy paste.

Arrange the sourdough pastry on a piece of parchment paper.

Begin to roll the pastry into a large rectangle.

Continue to roll the pastry until it is 1/4 inch thick.

Brush the edge of the pastry about one inch in width with water.

Use the parchment paper to help fold the ragged edges of the pastry over, creating a straight-sided rectangle.

Continue to carefully roll the pastry until the edges are back to 1/4 inch thickness.

Spread the cranberry filling over the pastry in an even layer, leaving 3/4 inch of uncovered dough at the bottom edge. Brush the bottom edge with water.

Starting at the top edge, use the parchment paper to help you roll the pastry into a tight cylinder.

Once the pastry is completely rolled use your hands to gently roll it on the surface to help seal the edge.

Roll the parchment around the pastry and refrigerate it for at least 60 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and slice it into coins. Each coin will have a lovely pinwheel of filling and pastry.

Bake the pinwheels on a parchment-lined cookie sheet until they are golden brown.

Cranberry and Sourdough Pastry Pinwheels

Yield: 36

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Chilling Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

A sweet and tart jammy cranberry filling is encased in tender buttery sourdough pastry. These pinwheels taste like heaven and are so beautiful on the holiday table!

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Ingredients

• 1 half recipe Sweet and Buttery Sourdough Pie Crust
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup fruit-sweetened strawberry preserves, or other favorite preserves
• 1/2 cup sprouted wheat flour, for dusting

Instructions

1. Make the Sweet and Buttery Sourdough Pastry. 
2. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature.
3. Add the cranberries and fruit preserves to your food processor. Pulse them together until they form a thick paste. Scrape down the bowl several times throughout this process. Set the filling aside.
4. Cut a piece of parchment paper 20 inches long. Dust the parchment with flour. Shape your pastry into a rectangle with your hands. Set the pastry down in the middle of the parchment and dust the top with flour. Roll the pastry into a rectangle shape that is evenly 1/4 inch thick.
5. Brush the edges of the pastry with water and using the parchment paper, fold the ragged edges over to achieve a smooth-sided rectangle. Continue to roll the pastry until, once again, it is evenly 1/4 inch thick.
6. Spread the cranberry filling evenly over the entire pastry leaving 3/4 inch of exposed dough along the bottom edge. Brush the bottom edge with water.
7. Carefully start rolling the pastry from the top down. Use the parchment paper to pull the pastry into a tight cylinder. Use your hand to smooth the cylinder as you roll it. Once you reach the bottom edge, make sure the edge seals by rolling the cylinder on the work surface.
8. Wrap the parchment around the cylinder of pastry and refrigerate it for at least 60 minutes.
9. Preheat your oven to 350°F. 
10. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
11. Using a sharp knife, cut the cylinder into 36 even pinwheels about 1 centimeter wide.
12. Place the cut pinwheels on the baking sheets and bake them one at a time for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are golden brown.
13. Cool the pinwheels completely on wire racks before serving.