Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 230 g pie dough, chilled
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 5 g ground cinnamon
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 79 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 4 mg
- Potassium
- 17 mg
- Calcium
- 6 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 3 mg
- Phosphorus
- 16 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 13 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 4 mcg
- Water
- 2 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon until intimately mixed.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled pie dough into a rough rectangle approximately 3mm thick.
Brush the surface of the dough generously with the melted butter, leaving a small 1cm border on one long edge.
Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the buttered dough.
Starting from the long edge opposite the clean border, tightly roll the dough into a log. Press the unbuttered edge firmly to seal.
Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 1.5cm thick rounds.
Arrange the pinwheels on the prepared baking sheet with space between them. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the sugar has caramelized.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. The sugar will harden as it cools.
Chef's Notes
- For a deeper flavor, use brown sugar instead of white; the molasses content adds a rich caramel note.
- If using store-bought round dough, you can simply roll it up as is; the pinwheels will just vary slightly in size.
- Brush the tops with a little extra milk or egg wash before baking for a glossy, professional finish.
- This recipe is the perfect vehicle for clearing out other pantry leftovers—try adding finely chopped nuts or citrus zest to the filling.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container to maintain crispness.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze unbaked log or baked cookies.
Reheating: Warm in a 150°C oven for 3-5 minutes to recrisp.
Troubleshooting
Pinwheels lost their round shape during slicing
Cause: Dough was too warm or knife was dull
Fix: Reshape gently with fingers on the baking sheet before baking
Prevention: Chill the rolled log for 15-20 minutes before cutting; use a sawing motion with a sharp knife
Bottoms are burnt
Cause: Oven too hot or dark baking sheet used
Fix: Scrape off burnt sugar with a microplane grater
Prevention: Use light-colored pans or check 2 minutes early; double up baking sheets for insulation
Cultural Context
Originating from the thrifty kitchens of early American bakers, 'pie crust cookies' or 'roley poleys' were a clever way to ensure expensive ingredients like butter and flour never went to waste. They remain a nostalgic childhood treat in many households.
