Damson Plum Pinwheels

Name: Damson Plum Pinwheels
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2½ cups all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon salt; ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom; 2 sticks unsalted butter; 4 oz cream cheese; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; ⅓ cup damson plum jam; 2 tablespoons decorative sugar; 1 piece parchment paper

Delicate buttery cookies filled with sweet damson plum jam and shaped into beautiful pinwheels. These elegant treats feature a hint of cardamom and are finished with a sparkly sugar coating.

24 servings

5 hr 8 min

Published October 4, 2025

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Ingredients

•2½ cups all-purpose flour
•½ teaspoon salt
•¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
•2 sticks unsalted butter
•4 oz cream cheese
•1 cup granulated sugar
•1 large egg
•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•⅓ cup damson plum jam
•2 tablespoons decorative sugar
•1 piece parchment paper

Cooking Instructions

1.
Whisk together flour, salt, and cardamom in a bowl.
3 min
2.
Beat together butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, then beat in yolk and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until dough just comes together. Quarter dough and flatten each piece into a block, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, 2 to 3 hours.
180 min
3.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
15 min
4.
Keeping remaining 3 pieces chilled, roll out 1 piece of dough 3/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, then trim edges to make a 12- by 8-inch rectangle. Chill scraps, wrapped in plastic wrap. Cut rectangle into 2-inch squares with pastry wheel.
10 min
5.
Make a 1-inch-long cut in 1 square from tip of each corner in toward center with a small knife, halving each corner. (You will have 8 points.) With tip of knife, lift every other point and gently fold into center, overlapping ends slightly. Press center lightly to form a small well. Put 3/4 teaspoon of jam in center and transfer with a spatula to a lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining squares, arranging pinwheels 2 inches apart on sheet.
20 min
6.
Brush cookies with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with decorative sugar.Bake until edges are pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on sheet, then transfer from parchment to a rack to cool completely.
20 min
7.
While first batch is baking, form pinwheels with another piece of dough. Bake in same manner, then gather scraps and chill until dough is firm enough to reroll, 15 to 20 minutes. Make more cookies with remaining 2 pieces of dough and with scraps in same manner (reroll scraps only once).
60 min

Cooking Instructions

Whisk together flour, salt, and cardamom in a bowl.

3 min

Beat together butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, then beat in yolk and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until dough just comes together. Quarter dough and flatten each piece into a block, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, 2 to 3 hours.

180 min

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

15 min

Keeping remaining 3 pieces chilled, roll out 1 piece of dough 3/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, then trim edges to make a 12- by 8-inch rectangle. Chill scraps, wrapped in plastic wrap. Cut rectangle into 2-inch squares with pastry wheel.

10 min

Make a 1-inch-long cut in 1 square from tip of each corner in toward center with a small knife, halving each corner. (You will have 8 points.) With tip of knife, lift every other point and gently fold into center, overlapping ends slightly. Press center lightly to form a small well. Put 3/4 teaspoon of jam in center and transfer with a spatula to a lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining squares, arranging pinwheels 2 inches apart on sheet.

20 min

Brush cookies with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with decorative sugar.Bake until edges are pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on sheet, then transfer from parchment to a rack to cool completely.

20 min

While first batch is baking, form pinwheels with another piece of dough. Bake in same manner, then gather scraps and chill until dough is firm enough to reroll, 15 to 20 minutes. Make more cookies with remaining 2 pieces of dough and with scraps in same manner (reroll scraps only once).

60 min