Criterium Cookies: Attempt #1

**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!)