Recipe: Coconut Cream Cheese Pinwheels

Coconut Cream Cheese Pinwheels
Makes 30 cookies

This recipe was a first-place winner of Martha Stewart Living Television's Cookie of the Week Contest, submitted by Imelda Rodriguez of Palmdale, California. The recipe originated with her Filipina grandmother.

For the dough:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling:
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup white chocolate chips

For the glaze:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Granulated sugar

1. Using a hand-held electric mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, 1 cup flour, sugar, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined. Gradually add remaining cup flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir until fully combined. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.

2. Heat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper.

3. Prepare the filling: Using a hand-held electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. With a wooden spoon, stir in coconut and chips. Set aside.

4. Remove one disc of dough from refrigerator. Roll on a lightly floured surface into an 8-by-13-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. With a fluted cookie cutter, cut into fifteen 2-1/2-inch squares. Place on prepared baking sheets, about 1-1/2 inches apart.

5. Place 1 teaspoon filling in center of each square. Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut 1-inch slits diagonally from each corner toward the filling. Fold every other tip over to cover filling, and form a pinwheel. Press lightly to seal.

6. Whisk together egg and oil. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush tops of pinwheels with egg mixture. Sprinkle with sugar.

7. Transfer to oven, and bake until edges are golden and cookies are slightly puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to wire rack. Repeat with remaining disc of dough.