Bite Sized Pinwheel Snacks

Recipe: Bite-Sized Pinwheel Snacks by Lorraine Pascales 'A Lighter Way to Bake'

Im definitely trying to bake healthy bakes, so when I saw 'A Lighter Way to Bake' by Lorraine Pascale I knew this would be a book for me.

Lorraine states 'I have made these super-small on purpose, so you can have a little almost guilt-free snack when you want a very tiny treat' - and I completely agree! They are tiny but very rich.

Making them was...okay. The recipe was simple enough to follow and making a template of the size to roll the dough out to was wise, however when rolling both doughs out I found they stuck to the greaseproof paper A LOT. So a pallet knife is definitely needed!

I have never attempted to roll anything in my life...so that was interesting with sticky dough! So I'm fairly proud of the results of my little biscuits!

For the vanilla dough I used a vanilla pod (that my mum brought back from Dubai, if I may add!) and Bournville Cocoa for the chocolate dough.

My Verdict: When the pinwheels were cooked, they were very yummy! You could definitely taste both the vanilla and the chocolate layers. It has very much a shortbread texture so I would recommend this bake as an afternoon treat with a cup of tea! Its a fairly easy bake and will make again!

Lorraine's Recipe: 

• 75g butter, softened
• 35g caster sugar
• pinch of salt
• seeds of 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g plain flour

After splitting the mixture 

• 10g cocoa powder
• 10g plain flour

1. Cream the butter and sugar, salt and vanilla seeds or extract together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and smoosh the mixture against the sides of the bowl to really mix it in and create a really soft dough, then split the mixture in half between two bowls. I like to weigh the whole amount and then divide it out evenly. Knead the cocoa powder through one dough piece and the extra flour through the other until well blended. Then, wrap the dough balls in cling film and put them in the fridge for a good 30 mins to 1 hour to firm up. 
2. When you are ready to cook the pinwheels, preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside. 
3. Once firm, roll each dough ball out on a piece of baking parchment to a 20cm x 12cm rectangle. The dough can be tricky to handle, as it can break up and become soft very easily, but just work slowly and carefully to get the right shape and size. I like to straighten and neaten the sides by tapping a ruler or palette knife against them. Once done, pop the chocolate rectangle directly on top of the plain one. The easiest thing to do is to pick it up on the baking parchment and flip it over on top of the plain rectangle before peeling the paper away. 
4. Then, with the longest side facing you, roll the layers up together away from you, like a Swiss roll. Use the bottom sheet of baking parchment to help you lift and roll. Wrap the roll in the baking parchment and refrigerate once again for a good 30 mins or so until really firm. 
5. Once set, use a sharp knife to cut the roll into 20 x 1cm-thick slices to reveal the swirl shape, and arrange them (lying down) on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins until just firm to the touch but starting to take on some colour. 
6. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool completely and firm up on the tray. I keep these in a little airtight jar for when I fancy a teeny bit of chocolate as a small, naughty snack.