Maple Walnut Pinwheel Cookies

Ingredients

Dough

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 cup walnut halves
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Filling

• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
• a shake of cinnamon

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 1 minute, until well combined.
2. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth.
3. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Put half the walnuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
4. Add to the sugar mixture along with the flour mixture and stir by hand just until you have a soft dough.
5. Put the remaining walnuts into the food processor and pulse until chopped; set aside.
6. Roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper into a 12-inch square.
7. Place on a cookie sheet in the fridge for about 30 minutes or in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
8. Remove dough from the fridge and peel off the top layer of waxed paper.
9. Drizzle the maple syrup evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and remaining chopped walnuts, going almost to the edges.
10. Gently roll into a log, peeling back the bottom paper as you go. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and freeze for 3 hours.
11. Preheat oven to 350F.
12. Slice the log into 1/4-inch slices and place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment or sprayed with non-stick spray.
13. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until pale golden. Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring to awire rackto cool.