Sunday, May 16, 2010

A very basic cookie



Icebox Cookies
Taste of Home Grandma’s Favorites Copyright 2006

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional I didn't use these

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts if desired. On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into 3 10x1-inch rolls. (They don't really spread so shape them to the size you want to end up with.) Tightly wrap each roll in wax paper. Freeze for at least 12 hours. (I only froze them a couple of hours.) Cut into 3/8-inch slices and place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Yield: about 7 dozen. I didn't get anywhere neat that many, maybe about 3 dozen.
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I've been wanting to bake something but I get so confused looking for a recipe. I don't want to buy anything extra to make something. I packed away most of my baking pans so loaves, cupcakes, etc are not an option unless I dig those pans back out. I prefer to use up more of what I have on hand (candies, chocolate, sprinkles, fruits, etc) so I usually skip over these basic recipes. That has led to me making a whole lot of nothing so I finally decided to go simple, even if this recipe doesn't make much of a dent in my pantry.

Sometimes you can't beat simple. Nick loved these and believe it or not, home baked goods are not always an easy win with him. I started out only baking half of the dough but so many disappeared that I went back and baked the rest of them. I won't be able to take these to work.

They have a salty, brown sugar flavor that would be a good base for add-ins (mini chocolate chips, nuts, chopped maraschino cherries, which I considered but then Nick wouldn't have eaten them).

I'm really going to shoot for at least one new recipe a week for now, and not a baked good every time. I'm not making any promises though.

5 comments:

Red Dirt Mummy said...

These are very similar to my refrigerator cookies and they never last long at our place! Nice to see you posting again :)

Anonymous said...

It's so good to hear from you again. I hope things are coming along as well as they can. These cookies remind me of some my Grandmother made when I was a child. She called them Icebox Cookies. They were also rolled and put in the frig, sliced and baked. She put finely chopped pecans in them. I have her recipe and, by golly, I'm going to made them soon. Thanks for the reminder!

Jan

Sheila said...

Those look so good!! Sometimes I like cookies that are just cookies without all the add-ins and these look perfect. I never get the amount the recipe says I will--but then I am not much of a baker.
I hope things are going better for you and your sons.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the reminder of a great recipe. As others have said, my grandmother also made Icebox Cookies which sound just like these. I think simple works best with these and prefer them plain with the nuts, rather than with add-ins. Glad to see you back!
Cindy

Mrs. L said...

They may be simple, but having a salty, brown sugar flavor sure would work for me!