Holiday Icebox Cookies Food

GRANDMA'S CHRISTMAS ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat brown sugar, butter, and white sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat the first egg into the butter until completely blended, then beat in the vanilla extract with the last egg.
• Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture until dough is just mixed. Fold pecans and candied cherries into dough. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch rolls on a piece of waxed paper. Seal waxed paper on the ends with tape; refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Slice cookies to about 1/4-inch thickness and arrange on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts if desire. , On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into three 10-in. x 1-in. rolls. Tightly wrap each roll in waxed paper. Freeze for at least 12 hours. , Cut into 3/8-in. slices and place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

HOLIDAY ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Using the electric mixer, mix the butter and the sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and the salt, and mix well. Beat in milk and vanilla. Add flour a little at a time, mixing it in until all of it has been incorporated.
• Divide the dough into balls, one for each color. For chocolate dough, add cocoa (1/4 cup is enough to flavor half a batch). Mix well with electric mixer. For colored dough, start with 1/4 teaspoon food coloring, and mix well. Add more in tiny amounts for darker colors. Gel-paste coloring can be intense, so add it gradually.
• Wrap each ball of dough in its own sheet of plastic wrap; pat flat into a rectangle. Refrigerate at least one hour or until ready to use.
• Parchment or waxed paper makes a good work surface. Sprinkle generously with flour, then roll out each piece of dough 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick to make the swirls; you can use thicker layers for the bull's-eyes.
• The bench scraper is a good tool for trimming dough's edges to make them even. The egg white, brushed on with a pastry brush, will act as a glue, making the layers stick together.
• For center, with your hands, roll chocolate dough into a 1/2- to 1 1/2- inch-thick rod; chill 20 minutes. Place rod on edge of rolled-out dough that's been brushed with egg white.
• Roll rod inside sheet of dough. Cut the dough where it meets up. Seal by pinching and pressing gently. Chill 20 minutes, then repeat to add other layers. To decorate, go to step 7, or jump to step 8 for plain.
• For spirals, measure and trim two or more colors of dough to same size. Brush on egg white, then stack layers. Brush top with egg white. Starting at one end, roll up the dough.
• Smooth and straighten the layers as you roll them so there are no gaps, then gently pinch and press the edge of the roll to seal it. Now the dough is ready to decorate. If you want plain cookies, skip to step 18.
• Add your favorite toppings (try coconut, colored sanding sugar, chopped nuts, or chocolate sprinkles): Spread topping in baking sheet, brush dough with egg white, and roll the log in topping.
• Roll each log in parchment or waxed paper; twist the ends of the paper closed. To help the logs keep their round shape, set each in a cardboard paper-towel roll that you have sliced open lengthwise.
• To remember what colors you have already used, with crayons, draw the designs onto key tags; tie the tags onto the paper covering the logs. Chill logs until they are solid, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Cut 15 inches of dental floss (or double thickness of thread). Let log soften for about 10 minutes. Remove parchment. Wrap floss around log and pull through. Make the slices thin: 1/4 inch or less.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place slices on an ungreased baking sheet (lined with parchment paper). A grown-up should bake the cookies 12 to 15 minutes, until firm but not browned. Let cool on baking sheet for several minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

ICEBOX COOKIES II

Steps:

• Cream shortening with sugars. Mix in beaten eggs. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts and vanilla.
• Make rolls about 2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate overnight.
• Slice about 3/8 inch thick, and place on greased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes.

FOUR-FLAVOUR ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the butter and beat in the sugars, one at a time.
• Add the eggs and vanilla, beat well.
• Mix the flour, baking soda and salt.
• Work into the creamed mixture.
• Divide the dough into four equal parts.
• Mix the oats and cinnamon into one part.
• Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave. Mix the slightly cooled melted chocolate into the second part, along with the cocoa and a flavouring of your choice.
• Mix the lemon zest and juice, and dried cherries into the third part, along with the 1/4 cup flour.
• Toast the coconut lightly in an ungreased heavy skillet.
• Let cool and mix the coconut and minced ginger into the last part.
• Shape each flavoured dough into an even log, 2" in diameter.
• Roll up tightly in waxed paper or plastic.
• Chill from 1 hour to 24 hours until wanted.
• Logs can also be frozen; thaw ten minutes before slicing.
• Cut thin slices (about 1/4" thick) from each log and bake on a lightly greased baking sheet, at 375°F for about 10 minutes.
• They should be just very lightly browned.
• Place well apart, as they spread.
• The dough should still be quite chilled when it goes into the oven.

GRANDMA'S ICE BOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together and set aside.
• Cream together shortening and sugars, add eggs.
• Mix flour and shortening mixture together.
• Divide dough in half, place each half on a sheet of wax paper.
• Shape dough into logs along length of wax paper. Freeze for 30 minutes.
• Melt chocolate chips in double boiler (Grandma uses semi-sweet or mint flavored for a surprise, leaving out the peanut butter in that case).
• Take one dough log out at a time and roll between 2 sheets of wax paper until it reaches across the paper, a little more than a 1/4" thick.
• Spread half of chocolate on dough. Roll up, like a jelly roll. Return to freezer. Repeat with other log.
• Allow dough to freeze for at least 30 minutes.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice cookies to desired thickness.
• Bake on greased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes.