Post #164: Chill Out! (with icebox cookies)

My posts may be few and far between, but I assure you dear readers (all 2 of you!), I have been a baking fool!

Here is another new recipe I tried this past week. I forgot to take a picture of these babies before I sent them out to the neighbors, but luckily for me, I found a great picture on the website that closely resembled mine! Yay!

From icebox cookies

Thanks L*Joy of Soup Spoon for letting me use your picture of your awesome cookies!  I highly reccomend her site. It is full of great writing and recipes, very inflective.

The recipe I used came from Easy Cookies by Linda Collister. It is very easy, simple, and pantry-friendly! It is a great simple cookie recipe to use for on-the-fly entertaining or gift giving. Similar to a sugar cookie, it is easy to dress up with icing and toppings.

Icebox Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup of confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I used regular clear imitation)

1 cup old fahioned oatmeal or rolled oats  (I used whole grain)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

sugar, for sprinkling

2 baking sheets, greased

Makes about 18 cookies

Directions:

Put the soft butter and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer on low speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, then stir in oats.

Sift the baking powder and flour into the bowl, then mix with your hand or a wooden spoon to make a slightly soft but not sticky dough.

Shape the dough into a log about 3 inches in diameter, then wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap or wax paper. Chill until firm-at least 30 minutes or up to a week. The dough can be frozen for up to a month, then defrosted in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Slice the log into rounds about 1/4 inch thick, then arrange slightly apart on the prepared pans. Be sure to use a good sharp knife. The cookie rounds will look much better. Mine looked squarish, because all my knives are dull! Sprinkle lightly with the sugar.

Bake in a preheated oven at 325F for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden around edges (cookies will seem really pale).

Let cool on the tray for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (As much as I bake, you would think I would have one!).

Store in an airtight container and eat within 5 days or feeze for up to a month.

Variation

Before baking the cookies, sprinkle the top of each one with about 1/3 cup chocolate chips or about 1 1/2 oz. grated semisweet chocolate.

Also, visit Soup Spoon's site for her lemon ginger icebox cookies recipe.

These are also great cookies for the holidays.

Happy Baking!