Even though it's January and we're bidding goodbye to the excess of the holidays, we're not quite ready to pitch sweets overboard. It's so comforting in the deep cold of January to have a sweet nibble with hot tea in the evening. But we also don't want entire platters of cookies or triple-layer cakes lying about. Elizabeth already mentioned the benefits of mini desserts in getting your sweet fix while trying to keep it light.
Here's one more suggestion: icebox cookies!
Icebox cookies, also known as freezer cookies, are cookies made from dough that is usually rolled into a log and chilled or frozen. The frozen dough can be sliced off, just one or two cookies at a time, and baked.
We often keep a log of icebox cookies in our freezer during the winter. We keep the logs tightly rolled so they make dainty little cookies, a la Elizabeth's tip, and we ration the dough out for weeks to satisfy our sweet tooth. The work of slicing and baking is just enough to inhibit unfortunate late night cravings (which we are really trying to discourage!), but it's still quick enough that we can have a treat after dinner.
Of course, icebox cookies are good for lots more than portion control and curbing a sweet tooth. They are great for unexpected visitors, and for winter parties. You can do almost all the work of baking ahead of time, but still have fresh baked cookies, warm from the oven, when your guests arrive.
Here are three favorite icebox cookies:
• Earl Grey Tea Cookies - Very easy to whip up in a food processor.
• Anise-Scented Fig and Date Swirls - A little more time intensive, but oh goodness. My very, very favorite cookie!
• Intensely Dark Chocolate Ice Box Cookies - An honorable mention in last winter's Bittersweet Baking contest. Pink and chocolate!
What are your favorite icebox cookies? Do you keep a log around in the winter?
Related: Tip: Freezing Cookie Dough
(Top image: Faith Durand; Cookie images, left to right: Faith Durand, Romulo Yanes for Gourmet, Rachel of Coconut & Lime)
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Oh come on, its the 8th nobody is still sticking to their resolutions anymore, those went out the door last weekend, or maybe that's just me. Luckily these icebox cookies allow me to increase my portion size to the entire roll to eat away the guilt associated with bailing on the resolutions, yes, that will do nicely.
view sally599's profile
You can freeze most drop cookies, too. I put dollops of chocolate chip cookie dough on a cookie sheet as close together as I can and then put the sheet in the freezer. When the dough is solid, I drop all the cookies-to-be into a bag so I can grab one or more as the mood takes me. I've done it with chocolate cookies, as well. Sadly, it does nothing to inhibit MY late night cravings as I'm totally in love with cookie dough and don't generally bother to bake them.
view Tiamat_the_Red's profile
I'll definitely have to try the anise-fig ones...sound yummy.
My problem with icebox cookies is that I prefer to eat the dough raw (uncookies!) and the only way i control myself is by baking the entire batch. I can't see myself baking 2 or 3 cookies at a time, they will be eaten as is, which makes the whole portion control thing a little difficult.
view mynameisalreadyregistered's profile
I've made the anise and fig cookies for two Christmases now. VERY tasty! Do them in steps over a couple of days and the recipe isn't overwhelming.
view m_j_s72's profile
I don't have a toaster oven, and I hate the idea of heating my oven for 2 cookies. Would these fair well in the microwave???
view SoSue's profile
I like to bake all the cookies at once, let them cool and then throw it in a ziploc bag for the freezer. When I need a cookie, I just pull one out, put it in the microwave for 20 seconds and I have a hot cookie, like I just baked them fresh. This way I don't have to use my oven for just one cookie.
view Luxeport's profile
Great idea but like a previous poster, I also freeze drop cookies to munch on a later date.
view rosebud's profile
Intensely Dark Chocolate Ice Box Cookies eh? Sounds like the recipe for me. Like some of the previous posters, we tend to prefer cookie dough at our house, so I'm not sure about the portion control part, but I'm not really that worried. ;)
view Kalinda's profile