The All-Purpose Multi-Flavored Icebox Cookie

Cranberry Orange Pecan cookies

It's not too late to make those holiday cookies you've been fantasizing about- not with Gourmet's circa 2003 handy dandy all purpose Basic Butter Cookie recipe, which can be modified to suit your heart's desire. You can even divide one recipe in half and make two flavors. Throw together some extra rolls of dough, cover the plastic wrap with holiday paper, tie up the ends with ribbon, and you've got the perfect hostess gift. Throw a few extra rolls (well wrapped) into the freezer for emergencies. Just don't over bake them! The dough even tastes great unbaked if you can overcome your fear of uncooked egg poisoning.

Without further ado, the all-purpose icebox cookie -

Basic Butter Cookie
(adapted from Gourmet Magazine, December 2003)
Makes three dozen 2"cookies.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Garnish: coarse or sanding sugar

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer at medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low, and add flour mixture, mixing until it is just combined.

Stir or knead in your chosen additions & flavorings (see below) until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Form dough into a 12-inch log about 2 inches in diameter on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up the dough in the plastic wrap. Chill the dough until firm, at least 4 hours.

Put the  oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

With a heavy knife, cut 1/4-inch-thick slices from the log and arrange the slices about 1 inch apart on two parchment lined cookie sheets. (Keep the remainder of the log chilled, still wrapped in plastic wrap).

Cookie roll in process

If you are garnishing with coarse sugar, sprinkle slices with it before placing them on the cookie sheets.

Bake the cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until the edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Do not over bake. Cool 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough.

The dough log can be chilled for up to five days in the refrigerator or frozen, double wrapped in plastic for one month. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator just until it can be sliced.

Mexican Chopped Chocolate

Additions:

Picky Eater choices -

Cranberry Orange cookies: Add 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 cup chopped pecans, and 2 Tb orange zest. Sprinkle the cookies before baking with coarse sugar.

Mexican Chocolate cookies: Stir 2 tsp. ground cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper into 100 grams of finely chopped bittersweet chocolate, then add to the butter cookie dough. Sprinkle the cookies slices with cinnamon sugar before baking.

Other possible additions are one cup of any of the following: currants, poppy or sesame seeds, cocoa nibs, mini chocolate chips, or chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans or pistachios. Lemon or orange zest would be welcome with either of the first three, and cocoa nibs and chocolate chips would enjoy the company of a little cinnamon or 2 Tb of finely ground coffee. Mix and match whatever suits your fancy, it all tastes good!

Gourmet Magazine's suggestions -
Lemon cookies: Stir 2 Tb fresh lemon juice and 1 Tb lemon zest into the basic cookie dough.
Almond Spice cookies: Add 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp ground ginger with the flour mixture, then stir in 1 cup slivered almonds.