I hate it when it rolls around to 7 or 8pm and I really have a hankering for something sweet like a cookie and there's none to be found in the house. Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking, "But you're a baker! Isn't that what this crazy website is for?!" Well, you would be right. I *do* love to bake, but lately I haven't been baking every other day so I've found myself searching aimlessly through a kitchen well stocked in potato chips, but no cookies.
Last night I remembered a great recipe to make slice and bake cookies that can be made into any little thing your heart desires. Looking for a fruity cookie? Add some lime or orange zest! Looking for something crunchy? Throw in some chopped nuts!
I originally got this recipe from Deb over at Smitten Kitchen, she originally got it from the ever glorious Dorie Greenspan. This cookie will not disappoint because you basically make it into anything you want. If it's not satisfying, it's your fault. Not Dorie's.
Since Ken and I just had our super awesome Cinco de Nacho party, we have a HUGE bag o' limes that I need to use up. Needless to say, I've been adding lime zest to anything I can. I made one batch of the slice and bake cookies and split it in half. To one half of the dough I added an extra teaspoon of vanilla and the zest of two limes. Since the dough is buttery and rich, I ended up with a tastey Vanilla Lime cookie that was at once delicate in flavor and rich in texture. Yum!
To the second half of the dough I added 1/2 a cup of chopped dried cranberries and 1/2 a cup of chopped pistachios. Believe it or not the dough took it. I thought I had over done it once I started to mix everything in, but it all came together and worked out just fine. The result was obviously a denser cookie, not as delicate as the vanilla lime, but still a good cookie nonetheless. Plus it helped me use up some of the pistacios we had left over from making charoset for Passover.
Aaaanyway, now I have cookies to eat at 8pm. This makes me a happy girl. Also I get to send Ken on tour with some as well. Everybody wins!
Slice-and-Bake Cookies
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan
Makes about 50 cookies
2 sticks (8 ounces; 230 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (78 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
Options:
Mix in grated zest of 2 oranges and 1/2 cup dried cranberries (I finely chopped them) Mix in grated zest of 2 lemons; coat with or mix in 1/4 cup poppy seeds (I mixed the poppy seeds in) Mix in grated zest of 2 limes; coat with 1/4 cup cornmeal Mix in 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots; coat with or mix in 1/2 cup finely chopped pistachios Mix in 1/2 cup mini chocolate or peanut-butter chips Mix in 1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger; coat with or mix in 1/4 cup sesame seeds Swap ¼ cup of flour for unsweetened cocoa Swap ½ to 1 cup of flour for ground almonds, pecans, hazelnuts or walnuts
1. Put the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until it is smooth. Add the sifted confectioners’ sugar and beat again until the mixture is smooth and silky. Beat in the egg yolk, followed by the salt and any dried fruits, zest, nuts or seeds. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, beating just until it disappears. It is better to underbeat than overbeat at this point; if the flour isn’t fully incorporated, that’s OK—just blend in whatever remaining flour needs blending with a rubber spatula. Turn the dough out onto a counter, gather it into a ball, and divide it in half. Wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
2. Working on a smooth surface, form each piece of dough into a log that is about 1 to 1 1/4 inches (2.5 to 3.2 cm) thick. (Get the thickness right, and the length you end up with will be fine.) Wrap the logs in plastic and chill for 2 hours. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.)
3. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. While the oven is preheating, roll cookie logs in any coatings of your choice. Then, using a sharp slender knife, slice each log into cookies about 1/3 inch (10 mm) thick. (You can make the cookies thicker if you’d like; just bake them longer.) Place the cookies on the lined baking sheets, leaving about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) space between them.
5. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they are set but not browned. Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool to room temperature.
Keeping: Packed airtight, the cookies will keep for about 5 days at room temperature, or in the freezer for a month. Unbaked logs can be frozen for longer.
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