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In
making pinwheel refrigerator cookies, refrigerate or
freeze dough. Slice into 1/4-inch slices and bake.
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When
it comes to home baking, the idea of convenience has been
kidnapped by well-meaning manufacturers who have created a
culture of pre-rolled pie crust, shrink-wrapped cookie mix
and frozen cudgels of bread dough.
Granted,
the pie crusts do save time, and the bread dough may serve
as training wheels for those tentative about dealing with
yeast. (Come on, you can do it!)
But
the convenience of refrigerated cookie dough is hardly
modern. Our great-grandmothers knew this with their recipes
for icebox cookies, as they once were called. These mostly
humble treats got a boost in the 1930s when electric
refrigerators became more affordable. Manufacturers trying
to drum up business created recipes that required
refrigeration, and icebox cookies were rechristened as
refrigerator cookies.
When
cookies became even more convenient — already baked and
packaged! — the appearance of dough in our grocer’s
dairy case seemed positively homespun. All well and good,
but making your own gives you greater control over
ingredients, and can be way more fun, depending on what
additional ingredients you want to stir in. How about
chopped dried cherries, figs or apricots? Roll the tube of
dough in chopped nuts, candy sprinkles or sparkling sugar.
Blend in flavors such as cocoa, coconut, flavored chips,
even potato chips — whatever strikes your fancy.
Even
better, a tube of refrigerator cookies lets you bake as many
or as few cookies as you desire. Treat your kids to a
half-dozen warm cookies when they walk in the door after
school. Or show them how to bake themselves a quick snack.
Best of all, involve them in the mixing so they can create
their own personal tube of dough, waiting in the fridge.
Great-Grandma
would be proud.
———
REFRIGERATOR
SHORTBREAD COOKIES:
Makes
3 dozen.
Note:
This buttery shortbread is great plain, but can be jazzed up
with additional ingredients. This recipe, adapted from
Martha Stewart, may be refrigerated for up to four days or
frozen for up to three months.
1 cup
(2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup
powdered sugar
1 tsp.
vanilla extract
¼
tsp. salt
2 cup
flour, plus more for rolling out dough
Mix-ins
(see list below)
Directions:
With
an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugar, vanilla and
salt on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Reduce mixer
to low speed and add flour, mixing until a dough forms. If
desired, stir in any of a variety of mix-ins (see below).
Divide
the dough in half. Working on a lightly floured surface,
gently roll each piece of dough into a log about 1 ½ to 2
inches wide. (You may need to flour your hands a bit as
well.) If desired, roll each log in a decorative coating
such as finely chopped nuts, candy sprinkles, coconut, etc.,
pressing in gently. You’ll need ¼ cup to 1/3 cup of
coating to cover both logs.
Wrap
logs tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about
1 hour, or place in freezer.
To
bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap log and, with a
sharp knife, slice into 1/4-inch slices. (If using a frozen
log, let sit at room temperature 15 minutes before slicing.)
Place
slices 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for
13 to 15 minutes or until golden around the edges. Gently
transfer to wire rack to cool.
Some
mix-in options:
1/3
cup chopped dried cherries or other dried fruit
Grated
zest of 2 lemons or limes
½ cup
finely chopped walnuts, peanuts or pecans
½ cup
mini-butterscotch or other flavored chips
Nutrition
information per cookie:
Calories:
84
Fat: 5
g
Sodium:
17 mg
Carbohydrates:
9 g
Saturated
fat: 3 g
Calcium:
3 mg
Protein:
1 g
Cholesterol:
14 mg
Dietary
fiber: 0 g
Diabetic
exchanges per serving: ½ bread/starch, 1 fat.
———
PINWHEEL
REFRIGERATOR COOKIES:
Makes
4 dozen.
Note:
Intimidated by a pinwheel? A simpler bulls-eye variation is
below. This recipe is adapted from "The Betty Crocker
Cookbook."
1 ¼
cup unsalted butter (2 ½ sticks), at room temperature
1 ½
cup powdered sugar
1 egg
3 cup
flour, plus more for rolling out dough
½
tsp. salt
¼ cup
unsweetened baking cocoa powder (not cocoa drink mix)
Directions:
With
an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugar and egg on
medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed and add
flour and salt, mixing until a dough forms. (You may need to
use your hands to shape it into a ball.)
Remove
dough from bowl and divide in half; return half to mixing
bowl. On low speed, beat in cocoa powder until evenly mixed.
Divide
each flavor of dough in half. On a floured surface, roll
plain dough into a rectangle about 8-by-10 inches. Shape the
edges to make all sides straight. Repeat with the chocolate
dough, then place it on top of plain dough and roll up
tightly. (You may need to run a knife or metal spatula under
the dough to loosen it from the counter.)
Repeat
with remaining dough.
You
can also make a simpler bulls-eye cookie by dividing and
rolling the chocolate dough into two cylinders 8 inches
long, then dividing and rolling the vanilla dough into two
rectangles 8 inches long and about 3 inches wide. Place the
chocolate tubes on the vanilla dough and wrap, pressing the
seam to seal.
Wrap
logs tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about
1 hour, or place in freezer.
To
bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap log and, with a
sharp knife, slice into1/4-inch slices. (If using a frozen
log, let sit at room temperature 15 minutes before slicing.)
Place slices 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake
for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden around the edges.
Gently transfer to wire rack to cool.
Nutrition
information per cookie:
Calories:
88
Fat: 5
g
Sodium:
27 mg
Saturated
fat: 3 g
Carbohydrates:
10 g
Calcium:
4 mg
Protein:
1 g
Cholesterol:
17 mg
Dietary
fiber: 0 g
Diabetic
exchanges per serving: 1 other carb, 1 fat.
———
CHOCOLATE
CHIP REFRIGERATOR COOKIES:
Makes
4 dozen.
Note:
Save money along with time by keeping your own tube of
chocolate chip cookie dough in the fridge. This recipe is
adapted from "Taste of Home Cookbook."
3/4
cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), at room temperature
½ cup
brown sugar
½ cup
granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp.
vanilla extract
1 ½
cup flour
½
tsp. baking soda
½
tsp. salt
½ cup
mini-semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup
finely chopped walnuts, if desired
Directions:
With
an electric mixer, beat together butter, brown sugar,
granulated sugar, egg and vanilla on medium speed until
light and fluffy. Reduce speed and add flour, baking soda
and salt, mixing well. Stir in chips and, if desired, nuts.
Divide
dough in half and shape each piece into a log about 2 inches
wide. Wrap logs tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until
firm, about 1 hour, or place in freezer.
To
bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap log and, with a
sharp knife, slice into 1/4-inch slices for crisp cookies.
For a slightly softer cookie, cut 1-inch slices, then cut
into thirds. (If using a frozen log, let sit at room
temperature for 15 minutes before slicing.) Place nuggets or
slices 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for
10 to 12 minutes or until golden around the edges. Gently
transfer to wire rack to cool.
Nutrition
information per cookie:
Calories:
74
Fat: 4
g
Sodium:
40 mg
Carbohydrates:
9 g
Saturated
fat: 2 g
Calcium:
6 mg
Protein:
1 g
Cholesterol:
12 mg
Dietary
fiber: 0 g
Diabetic
exchanges per serving: ½ other carb, 1 fat.
