Do you want to play a game? No, well… would you like to bake some cookies instead? Yeah, me too! These vanilla and raspberry Pinwheel Cookies are sure to win Jigsaw over, he might even let you off with a polite warning. On you go, you naughty scoundrel.
When Saw (2004) first burst onto our screens we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. I can still remember how I felt when John Kramer (Tobin Bell) stood up, revealing himself to be the evil game master. To say my jaw hit the floor during that shocking final act reveal is an understatement. Almost 20 years and 9 movies later we still can’t get enough of Jigsaw and his antics, not to mention his twirly-faced little puppet friend.
It’s the cheeky little chops of Billy The Puppet that these Pinwheel Cookies are based on. His adorable little swirly cheeks, if he wasn’t cycling down the corridor to unleash all manners of hell upon you, he’d almost be cute. Almost.
These cookies are pretty simple to make but do require a bit of time and patience. So clear your afternoon, slap on that Saw (2004) vinyl you picked up last week at the thrift store (no? just me?) and let’s make some cookies!
What you’re going to need:
- Caster Sugar: Also known as superfine sugar.
- Unsalted Butter: Make sure your butter is at room temperature before you start baking, this makes creaming the butter and sugar together much easier.
- Large Eggs: Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start baking or you risk splitting the batter. If this does happen simply add a tablespoon of the flour to the batter and mix. It should come back together. Try to use free-range eggs if you can.
- Plain Flour: Also known as All Purpose Flour.
- Vanilla Extract: Optional but adds a little lift to the overall flavour.
- Raspberry Extract: You could also add a tablespoon of raspberry powder to the dough if you don’t want to use extract.
- Red Food Colouring: Try to avoid the natural colourings as they’re not strong enough to colour the dough that bright red hue.
Tips for making Jigsaw’s Pinwheel Cookies:
- Measurements: I cannot recommend using actual scales rather than cups. You’ll get much more consistent results in your baking, you’ll never look back. A set of digital scales are easy to store and relatively cheap, they’re so worth the small investment. I’ll always include cup measurements but be aware they’re not as accurate and results can vary slightly.
- Cups: If you do insist on using cups make sure to spoon the flour into the cup rather than scooping the flour with the cup. This will pack the flour in to tightly and will result in using far too much.
- Freezing: You can freeze the cookie dough log for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge before slicing and baking as normal.
- Storing: You can store these cookies in an airtight tin for up to 1 week.
Variations:
Don’t like Jigsaw? Don’t worry! Here are a few variations on the pinwheel cookies, simply omit the raspberry flavour and red colouring in favour of these variations:
- Beetlejuice (1988) – Add 2 tbsp of dark cocoa powder to the second half of the dough to make Sandworm Pinwheels.
- Ghostbusters (1984) – Add 1/2tsp green food colouring and 1/2tsp peppermint flavouring to the second half of the dough to create Slimer Pinwheels.
- Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – Add some dark green colouring to the vanilla dough and keep the red dough red to make Freddy’s Pinwheels.
- Trick r Treat (2007) – Add 2 tbsp of cocoa to the second half of the dough and add 1/2tsp orange food colouring to the first half for Sam’s Pinwheels.
Jigsaw’s Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients:
- 250g (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 250g (1 1/4 cups) caster sugar
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 425g (3 cups) plain flour
- 1/2tsp red food colouring
- 1/2tsp raspberry extract
Method:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment fitted cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This should take around 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- Add the flour to the bowl and mix on low until the flour is fully combined and there are no dry streaks. Tip the dough onto the worktop and bring together to make a dough.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten one of the halves into a rough square and wrap in cling film. Add the other half back into the mixer bowl and add the red food colouring and raspberry extract, mix until fully combined.
- Flatten the red dough into a rough square and wrap in cling film. Place both discs into the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.
- Remove one piece of dough, unwrap it, and place on a sheet of baking parchment. Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and roll into a large rectangle. Don’t worry about being exact, I wasn’t!
- Repeat the process with the next square of dough.
- Once you have your two rectangles place the red dough on top of the vanilla dough. Trim the edges to make a neat rectangle and carefully roll the long edge of the dough to make a log. Wrap the log in clingfilm and place into the fridge for an hour minimum or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 175°C (340°f) and line two cookie sheets with baking parchment.
- Remove the log of dough from the fridge and place onto a chopping board. Slice the dough into 1/2″ thick rounds and place on the baking sheet leaving around 1″ between cookies.
- Bake for 12 minutes until just starting to turn golden brown. Allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Game Over! Show us your own Jigsaw Pinwheel Cookie creations on social media (if you don’t eat em all before you get a chance to snap a pic). Share your photos with us over on Twitter or in the Nightmare on Film Street Discord! Not a social media fan? Get more horror delivered straight to your inbox by joining the Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter.
