Phyllo Cardamom Pinwheel Cookies

 

This week’s bake are Phyllo Cardamom Pinwheel Cookies from Claire Saffitz!  They are light, golden and flaky, filled with butter, cardamom and demerara sugar.  

Phyllo dough originated in Medieval Turkey in the 11 th century. During the First World War, Istanbul households used to have many phyllo makers on staff, for making various types of phyllo dough. Today, this dough is available all over the world and is sold in the supermarket's frozen case.

Phyllo is a very thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava and börek in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Phyllo-based pastries are made by layering many sheets of phyllo brushed with oil or butter; the pastry is then baked.

Phyllo dough is made with flour, water and a small amount of oil.  Homemade Phyllo takes time and skill, requiring progressive rolling and stretching to a single thin and very large sheet. A very big table is used, preferably with a marble top. If the dough is stretched by hand, a long, thin rolling pin is used, with continual flouring between layers to prevent the sheets from sticking to one another.   In modern times, mechanical rollers are also used. Prior to World War I, households in Istanbul typically had two Phyllo makers to prepare razor thin sheets for baklava, and the relatively thicker sheets used for börek.

Phyllo-based pastries are made by layering many sheets of Phyllo brushed with oil or butter; the pastry is then baked.

Here is the recipe:

Phyllo Cardamom Pinwheels

from Claire Saffitz

Ingredients:

¾ cup demerara sugar (5.3 oz / 150g)

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Pinch of kosher salt

9 sheets frozen phyllo dough measuring 18 × 13 inches (8 oz / 226g),

thawed overnight in the refrigerator

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (5 oz / 142g), melted

Step 1

Starting at one of the short sides and using the parchment paper to help you, tightly roll up the stack of two sheets into a spiraled log, then gently lift the log off the parchment and set aside.

Step 2

Working on top of the same parchment paper, repeat the buttering, sugaring, and stacking process using 2 more sheets of phyllo, but don’t roll them up (yet). Lift up the log you already rolled and place it along one of the short sides of the new stack, then roll up the stack of phyllo around the log as snugly as possible, again using the parchment to help you. Set the log aside.

Step 3

Repeat the process two more times, each time using 2 more sheets of phyllo, buttering each layer and sprinkling with 1½ tablespoons cardamom sugar. Roll each stack snugly around the log, building up the layers and thickening the log each time.

Step 4

Place the final sheet of phyllo on the parchment paper and brush with more butter (you may or may not use all the butter, depending on how generously you coated each layer), then roll up the log in the final sheet just as you did before, taking care not to tear it.

Step 5

Gently place the log on a cutting board seam-side down, cover loosely with reusable food wrap or plastic wrap, and transfer to the freezer. Freeze until the log is very firm but not frozen solid, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 6

Arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.

Step 7

Remove the log from the freezer and uncover. Use a serrated knife to shave off just the loose and raggedy ends of the log, exposing clean-cut faces, then slice the log crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. If the delicate phyllo tears or starts to unravel, just do your best to press it back in place. Place the slices cut-side down on the prepared sheet pan, spacing them evenly (they will not spread).

Step 8

Bake the cookies until they’re deep golden brown and the bottoms are caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheet pan front to back after 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes on the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cooks' Note

The cookies, stored airtight at room temperature, will keep for up to 3 days, or they can be frozen for up to 1 month. Use a different spice? Yes. Instead of cardamom, use 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, or any warm spice of your choice (amount to taste).

Here are some pictures from the bake:

Have a great day!