Cinnamon Spirals

Submitted by buffyfan1

"I got this from a Good Housekeeping cookbook called The Great Christmas Cookie Swap Cookbook. They were a huge hit as gifts and they smell wonderful when baking. They are not very sweet so they are a nice counterbalance to chocolate cookies. I did sprinkle some extra sugar over them before baking because I like them sweeter!"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 12mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Yields: 120 cookies
• Serves: 1

ingredients

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks) or 1 cup margarine, softened (2 sticks)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

directions

1. In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and cream cheese till creamy, about 2 minute Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour and salt until well mixed, occasionally scraping bowl with ruber spatula.
2. Divide dough in half. On sheet of plastic wrap, pat 1 peice of dough into small rectangle; wrap tightly and refrigerate 1 hour or until dough is firm enough to roll ( or freeze for 30 min,). Repeat with remaining dough.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir sugar and cinnamon until blended.
4. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 peice of dough into 15" by 12" rectangle. Sprinkle half of cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over dough. Starting from long side, tightly roll dough jelly-roll style. Brush last 1/2 in of dough with water to seal edge. Cut log crosswise in half. Slide logs onto ungreased cookie sheet; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm enough to cut. (or freeze for 45 min.) Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Preheat oven to 400*F. Remove 2 logs from freezer; with serrated knife, cut each log crosswise into 1/4 in thick slices. Place cookies 1/2 in apart on two ungreased cookie sheets.
6. Bake cookies until lightly browned, 12 to 14 min, Transfer to a wire rack to cook. Repeat with remaining two logs.