pat's Recipe

Cinnamon Swirl Cookies

Category: Cookies

for the dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for
the surface
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp freshly grated orange peel
2 large eggs

for the filling:

2 ounces (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light-brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (1 1/2 oz)
12 tsp ground cinnamon

Make the dough: Sift flour, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl. Beat butter, sugar, and orange zest with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture gradually, and beat until just combined. Divide dough in half, wrap each half in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
Turn half the dough onto floured parchment. Roll into a 10-by-12-inch restangle, then trim edges straight. Repeat with remaining half of the dough. Transfer rectangles on parchment to a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm but pliable, about 10 minutes.
Make the filling: Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until well combines. Crumble mixture evenly over rextangles. Starting on a long side, roll 1 rectangle into a log, and wrap it in the parchment. Repeat with remaining rectangle. Refrigerate logs for 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350. Cut each log crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake until edges are golden brown, about 19 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.

makes about 5 1/2 dozen