One look at this stack of sweet and buttery Icebox Cookies, dotted with flecks of red candied cherries, makes you think of Christmas. There is no doubt as to why these old fashioned refrigerator cookies have remained a favorite. They taste great plus you can make the dough ahead of time and then simply slice off and bake the cookies as needed. What a treat it would be during the holiday season, to give a busy friend a nicely wrapped frozen log of this cookie dough (with baking instructions), so they can enjoy freshly baked cookies whenever life dictates the need for something sweet.
I know that some people dislike the taste of candied cherries. If so, you can substitute an equal amount of finely chopped nuts. While I agree these cherries are not ideal for eating out-of-hand, I enjoy their sweet flavor and chewy texture when folded into cake and cookie batters or when used as a decorative garnish. Candied cherries are also called glace cherries, and they are cherries that have been dipped in a sugar syrup. For these Icebox Cookies the cherries are chopped into small pieces so each cookie will have small flecks of red dotting its’ entire surface. Now, the cookie dough is made with the creaming method, that is, cream the butter with the sugar, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract, and then the flour mixture. The last step is to fold in the candied cherries. Once the dough is made it is divided into thirds, each portion is formed into a log shape, refrigerated until chilled (up to three days), and then you slice and bake the cookies. If desired, the dough can be frozen for a month which is ideal if these cookies are going to be part of your Christmas baking.
The buttery flavor of these cookies means it is important to use the best unsalted butter you can afford. I prefer using unsalted butter as the salt in ’salted’ butter can overpower its’ sweet flavor and can also mask any odors the butter may have absorbed in storage. Besides butter, vanilla extract is also a strong flavor in these cookies. So when buying vanilla extract make sure that it is labeled “pure”. Stay away from the ones labeled “imitation” vanilla extracts as they are made with synthetic vanilla (from glycoside found in the sapwood of certain conifers or from coal extracts) and leave a bitter aftertaste.
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Copyright 2009 Stephanie and Rick Jaworski
