Best Icebox Cookies Recipes

ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts if desire. , On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into three 10-in. x 1-in. rolls. Tightly wrap each roll in waxed paper. Freeze for at least 12 hours. , Cut into 3/8-in. slices and place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

PISTACHIO CRANBERRY ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Stir together flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
• Beat together butter, granulated sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until dough just comes together in clumps, then mix in pistachios and cranberries. Gather and press dough together, then divide into 2 equal pieces. Using a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper as an aid, form each piece of dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Square off long sides of each log to form a bar, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until very firm, at least 2 hours.
• Slice and bake cookies:
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Brush egg over all 4 long sides of bars (but not ends). Sprinkle decorative sugar on a separate sheet of parchment or wax paper and press bars into sugar, coating well.
• Cut each bar crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rotating bar after cutting each slice to help keep square shape. (If dough gets too soft to slice, freeze bars briefly until firm.) Arrange cookies about 1/2 inch apart on lined baking sheets.
• Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are pale golden, 15 to 18 minutes total. Transfer cookies from parchment to racks using a slotted spatula and cool completely.

PECAN ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans. Shape into four 6-1/2-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. , Unwrap and cut into 1/8-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 7-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

CHERRY-PECAN ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans and candied cherries. , Shape into four 8-in. rolls; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until firm., Unwrap and cut into 1/8- to 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes or until lightly browned and edges are set. Cool for 1-2 minutes before removing to wire racks.

CHERRY ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, cherry and lemon juices and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts and cherries. , Shape into four 12-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. , Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

LEMON ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse flour, confectioners' sugar, salt, and lemon zest until combined. Add butter and process until sandy. Add egg yolks and lemon juice; pulse until dough comes together. Divide dough in half and form each into a 1 1/2-inch-wide log. Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm, about 2 hours (or up to 1 month).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Spread granulated sugar on a piece of parchment; roll logs over sugar to coat. Slice logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden brown around edges, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

BROWN SUGAR ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to cream mixture. Fold in pecans or coconut (dough will be sticky). Shape into two rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. , Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 7 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks.

AUNT IONE'S ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together first five ingredients; set aside. In a bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla and lemon extract; beat well. Add dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in nuts. , Divide dough into four parts and shape into 11x1-1/2-in. rolls. Wrap in foil and chill overnight. , Slice cookies 3/8 in. thick. Bake on greased baking sheets at 350° for about 10 minutes.

ICEBOX BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture just until blended.
• Shape dough into 4 (6-inch) logs. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 8 hours or up to 3 days.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Unwrap dough; cut into 1/4-inch slices. On cookie sheets, place slices 1 inch apart.
• Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

BUTTERSCOTCH ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter, add sugar and cream well. Beat in eggs, then add sifted dry ingredients, vanilla and nuts.
• Shape into rolls, wrap in wax paper and freeze or put in refrigerator until firm.
• Slice and place about an inch apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake about 12 minutes at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• When done, remove from pan at once with a spatula. Store in a covered container and they will remain crisp.

CHERRY ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat butter at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add egg and vanilla, beating well.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture, beating well. Pat cherries between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Stir cherries and pecans into dough; cover and chill 2 hours.
• Shape dough into two 1 1/2"-diameter, 8"-long rolls. Roll in colored sugar, if desired. Wrap rolls in wax paper and freeze until firm.
• Unwrap frozen dough and slice into 1/4"-thick slices, using a sharp knife. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 400° for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Let cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

LEMON ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon peel and lemon juice. On low speed, beat in flour mixture just until blended.
• Divide dough into 3 equal portions. On waxed paper, roll each portion into 12-inch log. Wrap in waxed paper; refrigerate 8 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. Unwrap dough; cut into 1/2-inch slices. On cookie sheets, place slices 2 inches apart.
• Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks; cool completely. Garnish with additional grated lemon peel, if desired. Store cooled cookies tightly covered at room temperature.

ICEBOX PINWHEEL COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
• In a mixer with a paddle attachment cream the butter well; then add the sugar and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and then the vanilla.
• On the low setting, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Divide the dough in half and return half the dough to the mixer. Add the warm melted chocolate and mix to combine. Shape both pieces of dough into 4 by 4-inch square, and wrap them in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Cut each square into 4 strips then place them on a sheet pan and keep chilled while you roll out the dough. Between pieces of parchment paper, roll out a piece of chocolate dough into a rectangle 6 by 7 inches (have a ruler nearby). Roll a piece of vanilla dough out into a 6 by 6-inch square. Peel off the top pieces of parchment from both doughs and flip the vanilla dough onto the chocolate, allowing 1/2-inch border of chocolate dough around the top and bottom. Press the 2 doughs together lightly with a cake pan or other flat pan. Peel off the top piece of parchment and fold the 1/2-inch of over hanging chocolate dough up and over the vanilla dough. Use the parchment to roll up the dough into a tight pinwheel. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 4 to 5 hours (roll the dough a couple times the first hour so it doesn't develop a flat side). Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a sheet pan. Unwrap the roll and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place them 1 1/2 inches apart on the sheet pan and bake for 9 to 11 minutes.

CRANBERRY ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugars, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in walnuts. Carefully stir in cranberries. Shape into three 7-in. rolls; wrap each roll in waxed paper and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. , Unwrap dough and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

ORANGE-PECAN ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, orange juice, orange zest and extracts. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans. Shape dough into four 5-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until firm., Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 9-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

PISTACHIO CRANBERRY OATMEAL ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, then beat in baking powder and soda, spices, and salt until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
• Add flour and mix on low speed until just combined well. Stir in oats, pistachios, and cranberries.
• Divide dough in quarters. Shape each quarter on a large sheet of wax paper, using paper as an aid, into a 9-inch-long log, and wrap up tightly in paper first, then in plastic wrap, twisting ends (like a piece of hard candy). Chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Work with 1 log at a time, keeping remaining log chilled. If log softens as you work with it, rewrap it and chill or freeze it until firm. Using serrated knife, cut a 1/4-inch-thick slice from log with a sawing motion and place on baking sheet. Continue cutting, arranging slices as cut about 2 inches apart on sheet.
• Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden and set, 8 to 10 minutes total. Cool cookies on baking sheets 1 minute before transferring to racks to cool completely. (Parchment can be reused, but cool baking sheets between batches.)
• If garnishing with a drizzle of melted chocolate, finely chop the chocolate then melt it in microwave at 50 percent power for 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Or, melt the chopped chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
• Cool chocolate slightly, then put in plastic bag and press out excess air. Snip a tiny opening in bottom corner of bag, then twist bag firmly just above chocolate and drizzle over cookies on racks set over wax paper or a pan. Let cookies stand at cool room temperature until chocolate is set.

CHOCOLATE CHIP ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugars. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chips and pecans. Shape into a 9-in. roll; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate overnight., Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

OAT & COCONUT ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in oats, coconut and walnuts., Divide dough in half. Shape each into a 10-in.-long roll. Wrap; refrigerate overnight., Preheat oven to 375°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/2-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 8-10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

COCONUT ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the butter until smooth; add sugar and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Stir in egg, vanilla and coconut flavoring.
• Sift the flour with the salt and baking soda. Alternately add the flour mixture and the shredded coconut to the creamed mixture. Form the dough into logs about 2 inches in diameter. Tightly wrap dough and chill for at least two hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Remove dough from refrigerator and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet until the edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

BUTTER PECAN ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in pecans., Divide dough in half; shape each into a 10-in.-long roll. Place wrapped rolls in airtight containers. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 350°. Uncover and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 7-9 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.