Well, the temperatures are getting to be more seasonal, and with them our moods should be turning toward preparations for the Annual Cookie Walk. Along with Thanksgiving decorations in our houses, the anticipation of fresh cookie dough aromas should be entering our collective consciences.
Cookie Walk 2016 /(Steve Ruark / Baltimore Sun Media Group)
Additionally, we also had the best selection of cookies yet, so get on your thinking caps, rummage through your favorite recipes (or try the easy recipe and its variations below), and start planning. The dough can be made ahead of time and frozen.
Similar make-ahead recipes can be found at http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2015/10/21/freeze-bake-tips/.
Refrigerator or Icebox Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Cream the butter with the sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Add flour and salt sifted together and stir until well blended. Divide the dough into three parts and form rolls. Roll each roll in waxed paper and store in the refrigerator or freezer until firm. With a sharp knife, slice 1⁄8 to 3⁄8 inches thick. Place on greased or ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated 375° oven until a delicate beige—the time will depend upon the thickness of the cookies. Remove from pan while warm and cool on a rack. Store in airtight containers. Yields 4 1⁄2 to 6 1/2 dozen cookies. The sliced cookies may be further decorated with colored sugar for additional effect.
Butterscotch Refrigerator Cookies
Instead of white sugar, use 1 1⁄2 cups brown sugar.
Chocolate Refrigerator Cookies
Add 2 to 3 ounces bitter chocolate melted, to the creamed butter and egg mixture. Use 1⁄4 cup less flour.
Orange or Lemon Refrigerator Cookies
Omit the vanilla and substitute 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind, or 3 or 4 teaspoons finely grated orange rind.
Spice Refrigerator Cookies
Sift 1 tablespoon cocoa, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1⁄2 teaspoon cloves with the flour and salt.
Nut Refrigerator Cookies
Mix 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup finely chopped walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, or peanuts into the sifted flour and salt. The nuts must be quite fine or the dough will crumble while being sliced.
You can also help in other areas
Of course, while cookies may be the central ingredient, we also need your help in many other areas in order to make the Cookie Walk the success it has been in years past.
We need items for our children’s table and gift table, including ornaments and gewgaws suitable to the season. So please hunt around for that special treasure given to you that you have never used!
Our children’s table offers modestly priced items suitable for the whole family, so the children can buy something for everyone on their list!
These items can be dropped off now. A table has been set up in the Cadwalader Room with recipes hints, volunteer sheets and a schedule of Cookie Walk week.
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