As a kid, I loved pirouette cookies by Pepperidge Farm. This recipe is a pretty close match, with slightly more buttery flavor than store bought. Light and delicate, the tube shape of these cookies makes them fun to eat. These cookies go great with gelatos and ice creams.
Preheat oven to 400° F
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
Preheat cookie sheets and prepare dough
Place cookie sheet with silpat cooking mat in oven to preheat. Cream together the butter, sugar, egg whites and vanilla until light and fluffy. Slowly add the flour and mix until just blended. Place about 1/2 cup of the dough into a pyrex measuring cup and heat in microwave for 8 seconds. The goal is to warm it up to the point it will just start to pour. Once the oven is preheated, use a spoon to coax out about a tablespoon of dough into 4 or 5 well spaced spots on the sheet. Lift the sheet and tilt at steep angles to help the dough form a large, flat circle. It's better to err on too thin than thick, just make sure the dough circles don't touch.
Bake cookies and then immediately roll
Bake for 4 to 6 minutes until edges are browned. It's better to be a little too dark than too light since under browned pirouettes are not crunchy and they are very forgiving of over browning. Quickly remove from oven and use a thin spatula to lift one of the cookies over the handle of a wooden spoon. The cookie will be very hot, but you can use your hands for brief touches to start rolling the cookie over the handle of the spoon. Roll the cookies until they are completely cylindrical, pushing down on the cookie when the outer seam is between the handle and the cookie sheet. This last press will help keep the cookie from unrolling. Quickly set the rolled cookie onto a cooling rack and proceed to the remaining cookies on the sheet.
Repeat the process of spreading the dough on the still hot cookie sheet, heating more dough as needed between sheets. Once you get the hang of it, you can alternate 2 sheets in the oven (about 2 - 3 minutes apart), but start with one at a time until you feel confident. Once the cookies are completely cooled, place in airtight container. They will keep for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.
Ingredients for making Pirouettes.
Cream butter and room temperature butter together until fluffy.
Add egg whites and continue to whip dough until fluffy.
Dough should be free from any lumps. Scrape down sides of bowl to help mix.
Add vanilla extract to dough.
Slowly add flour and mix until just blended.
Don't over mix the flour into the dough.
Scoop about 1/2 cup of dough into pyrex container and microwave for 8 seconds to thin dough.
Warmed dough doesn't really lose much volume.
Use a spoon to coax 1 tablespoon of the batter-like dough onto the hot cookie sheet. Once all dough is poured, tilt cookie sheet at all angles to thin
Bake for 4 - 6 minutes in 400° F oven until edges brown. Err on the side of too brown.
Use spatula to lift hot cookie from cookie sheet and place over handle of wooden spoon.
Drag one hanging edge of cookie under wooden spoon and then lower wooden spoon to begin rolling.
Finish rolling cookie around spoon handle.
Press firmly over the seam to help keep cookie rolled.
Place rolled pirouettes on lowered cooling rack to cool and help prevent unrolling.
Pirouette Cookies.
Pirouette Cookies.
Great site! I tried to bake these today. I made a huge error bc I beat the egg whites, sugar, and vanilla all at once. see, your pictures are VERY clear about how to gradually add the ingredients at various stages but the text just says, "Cream together the butter, sugar, egg whites and vanilla until light and fluffy." Other observations: 1) you will burn your hands 2) flip the cookies when they come out to disguise the bottoms if they get too browned 3) when wrapping fails (as it did in my case!), turn them into milanos! i sandwiched my batter with chocolate bc i didn't want to stand there forever rolling 4 at at time. i'll try your other recipes!
I love your site with all the pictures! Great job and keep up the good work!