**Thanks Tom @HZ for the name of the cookies :)
So, if you can't tell, I was trying to make cookies that looked like wheels...
I think that one in the bottom left was the closest I got. I will
be trying these again (and again probably), but they taste good, and that's all
that counts! And I used a real recipe this time, hooray!
 |
| Don't mind me.. I'm just a bookmark.. |
For
the dough, I used Joy of Cookies (sic, I'm leaving this typo in because it
would be an awesome name for a cookbook, don't you think? I'm sure it
already exists..) ahem, Joy of Cooking's icebox cookies recipe, the vanilla and
the chocolate variant. Slight modifications include the use of
all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, [cocoa powder + oil] instead of melted
chocolate, and hopefully no cat hair.
Ready... go!
Joy
of Cooking's "Icebox Cookie" recipe:
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 stick of butter
2/3 C sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
[For Chocolate: I used the conversion on the cocoa box - 3T
cocoa +1T oil = 1oz unsweetened chocolate. JoC calls for 4oz semi- or
bittersweet melted chocolate, so 12T cocoa + 4T oil. Optional, 1T rum or
brandy.. I used rum flavoring because I forgot I actually have rum.]
Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.
Beat butter and
sugar until fluffy. [Add chocolate here if making the chocolate dough] Beat
in egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until
blended.
*If you just want to make the plain ol' cookies from here, roll
the dough into a log, wrap in parchment or wax paper, and chill for 4-12hrs.
You can put it in the freezer to chill faster. Chill until the
dough can be thinly sliced with a knife. Baking instructions are the same
as below (bolded so you don't have to read everything else if you don't want to
:) ).
I made the vanilla first, then used the same dishes/utensils to
make the chocolate (why waste water and elbow grease?). Once both batches
were made, I shaped each into a ball, wrapped in wax paper, and then put it in
the fridge while I cleaned up; about 15-30min. This helped it firm up a
bit for molding, but it wasn't rock hard. I then planned out what shapes
I wanted: a flat layer of chocolate for the outside, thin roll of chocolate for
the center, then alternating thick and thin strips of vanilla and chocolate,
respectively.
Putting them together was interesting, and I kind went about it in
a not very well thought through way. What's new, right? I laid out
the alternating strips, then put the thin rope in the center and tried to roll
the side up around it. That probably would have been okay if I hadn't
started doing this on top of the outer layer for some reason. [Sidebar:
Next time I will not do that, and will do it first just on wax paper, which I
can use to help roll up the sides, then move over to the outer
layer and do the same. I will also use toothpicks to help keep it
together during this process and also during freezing.] After I
created the final roll, I wrapped it in wax paper and put it in the freezer for
2-3hrs.
When the dough is done chilling, preheat your oven to 375F.
Unwrap the dough. JoC says to cut
slices 3/16-in thick.. random number and who measures their cookie
slices??? Mine were probably a little thicker, but if you are throwing
caution to the wind like I did, cut them thinner than you think you should and
you will probably be okay. Thick slices are fine, they just will
obviously take longer to bake and will be softer compared to thinner slices, so
uniformity is key! Anyways.. arrange your slices on a baking
sheet. JoC says 2in apart; I say they don't spread that much
so closer is okay, mostly because I'm impatient (there's probably some rule
behind this that I don't know yet, like how you can crowd mushrooms or
something). Bake 8-10min, until lightly browned; the longer the
crispier. **NOTE: You can't see the chocolate part brown
for obvious reasons, which made this a little hard to do by eye. I stuck
with 10min and got a pleasantly crumbly cookie. A min or two longer
probably would have been okay. Remove cookies from oven, let stand
briefly, then move to a cooling rack.
Overall, I wasn't too disappointed. I knew I messed up the
design when I put it together, so I wasn't expecting stick straight lines.
I also didn't get any complaints from taste-testers.
Stay tuned for Round #2..
Fun alternative options for this dough:
-Make drop cookies instead (no chilling, just drop spoonfuls and
cook)
-Mix up the flavors with different extracts/flavorings and or
additions like zest or nuts (or PB!)
-Make a pinwheel design by overlaying rolled out vanilla and
chocolate and rolling up together (a lot easier way to make a cool looking
cookie!)
