Blueberry Lemon Pinwheels

So, are you noticing a blueberry & lemon theme lately?  Yeah, me too. 

It wasn't intentional, I just really need to use up these blueberries

and, honestly, I can't think of a better pairing than lemon. 

 

I want to eat cookies, but it's summertime, and I'm doing that Couch to 5k program,

so I want to make them with fruit and pretend that they're good for me. 

Blueberries are FULL of antioxidants, you guys.

These are basically a sugar cookie flavored with lemon

but you could easily change things up to suit your taste.  

 

Use another flavor combo... maybe lime cookies with a cherry filling,

pistachios instead of almonds if you wanted to keep things green.

(Yes.) 

Oooh!  Or key lime cookies, with some kind of graham cracker, cream cheese type filling! 

(Totally doing that.)

 

You could even just bake lemon sugar cookies, which sounds like an excellent idea to me. 

Blueberry Lemon Pinwheels

Printable Recipe

You'll Need...

For the cookies -

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

3 1/4 cups flour

 

For the filling -

1 cup blueberries

3/4 cup almonds

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground flax

2 tablespoons wheat germ

 

Method...

For the filling -

Finely chop the blueberries and almonds.  In a mixing bowl, combine with the brown sugar, wheat germ, and flax and set aside.  If you have a food processor, add all ingredients to the bowl and process until finely chopped and well combined.

This is how mine looked, but I don't have a food processor.

For the cookies - Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, baking powder, and salt and beat to combine.  Add eggs, lemon zest and lemon extract.  When well combined, beat in a s much of the flour as possible, and stir in any remaining flour.  Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and chill until easy to handle, at least one hour.  While the dough is chilling, assemble filling.

Once dough is chilled, roll half of it into a 10 inch square on a sheet of parchment paper.  Spread half of the prepared blueberry filling onto the dough, leaving a border of 1/4 to 1/2 inch.  Using the parchment paper to help, roll the dough into a log.  Moisten the edges of the dough to seal, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours before slicing and baking.  Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.

Slice into 1/4 inch cookies and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. 
TIP:  When slicing the cookies, use a serrated knife and make sure your dough is very, very cold.

Bake at 375°F for 12-14 minutes or until edges are firm.  Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute, then move to wire racks to cool completely.  Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Adapted from Cranberry Orange Pinwheels in Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 14th Edition

Perfectly chewy lemon cookies,

texture and crunch from the blueberry almond filling.

These are an excellent summertime cookie, light, chewy, fruity and yummy.

If you look really close, you can see the bits of lemon zest in the dough.

If you, or someone you love is a lemon fanatic (like me),

make their day, and make these cookies.