Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies - butter

Method

• Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating unil light and fluffy.
• Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended, scaping bowl as needed.
• Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
• Divide dough into 2 equal portions.
• Roll 1 portion of dough into a 12x8 inch rectangle on a piece of lightly floured plastic wrap.
• Knead food coloring paste into remaining portion of dough while wearing rubber gloves.
• Roll tinted dough into a rectangle as directed in step 3.
• Invert untinted dough onto tinted dough; peel off plastic wrap.
• Cut dough in half lengthwise, forming 2 12x4 inch rectangles.
• Roll up each rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side, using bottom piece of plastic wrap as a guide.
• Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze 4 hours or up to 1 month.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut ends off each dough log, and discard.
• Cut dough into 1/4 inch thick pieces, and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes or until puffed and set; cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes.
• Remove to wire racks and cool completely (about 30 minutes).
• Make the frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.
• Increase speed to medium, and gradually add milk and peppermint extract, beating until smooth.
• To assemble: Place Peppermint Frosting in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic freezer bag.
• Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small holw.
• Pipe about 2 teaspoons frosting onto half of cookies; top with remaining cookies, gently pressing to form a sandwich.