Bready or Not: Classic Icebox Cookies
These Classic Icebox Cookies are the kind of cookie I think about when holiday cookies come to mind.
That’s because these are the kind of cookies I remember eating at Christmas when I was a kid–at preschool, at school, at home, everywhere. When my mom baked them, I had the all-important duty of Sugar Sprinkler.
When I was just starting to bake, but still really nervous about it, I’d buy sugar cookie dough tubes at the store. At least I had the sugar-sprinkling down pat.
This recipe makes cookies that are a total nostalgia trip. They look and taste like a childhood holiday.
The only difficult thing about this recipe is stirring everything together. Get your biggest bowl, the one a large cat can completely fit in. Even then, stirring everything together might get messy.
If you have kids or grandkids around, this is the perfect recipe for them to help out and build some memories of their own. Carry the nostalgia forward.
Modified from All Recipes Magazine December/January 2018.
Bready or Not: Classic Icebox Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter 4 sticks, softened
- 3 cups white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- dash salt
- 1 egg
- 4 1/2 - 5 cups all-purpose flour
- decorating sugar
Instructions
- Beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Gradually mix in as much flour as possible, then stir by hand to get to at least 4 1/2 cups. Dough should be stiff.
- Divide dough into thirds and shape into logs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Enshroud in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice dough rolls into 1/4-inch slices, reshaping with hands as necessary, and place them on cookie sheet with plenty of space to spread. Add decorating sugar on top.
- Bake until the cookie edges are turning golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Depending on how cookies are cut, makes anywhere from 60 to 90 cookies.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Fruitcake Cookies
After Christmas last year, I scored a whole stack of fruitcake fruit containers for 80% off on the grocery clearance aisle. I already had recipes in mind for the fruit, and this is one of them.
These Fruitcake Cookies are essentially good old fashioned chewy oatmeal cookies with new mix-ins. Really good mix-ins.
Really, these are pretty and rustic cookies to behold. The red and green cherries look like sparkling jewels. I was surprised at how well the dates worked, too; they were meatier and softer than the usual raisins.
Plus, there’s a comfort food vibe around these cookies. They look like a variation of oatmeal cookies, but the different fruit gives them a distinct holiday vibe.
Of course, if you’re like me and use fruit snagged on a post-Christmas sale, that might be a holiday vibe in January or February. But hey, good cookies shouldn’t be confined to any one season.
And these are definitely good cookies.
Modified from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies & Bars.
Bready or Not: Fruitcake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup flaked coconut or shredded
- 1/2 cup dates chopped
- 1 1/2 cups fruitcake fruit mix about 12 ounces, with chopped red and green cherries, pineapple, etc
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugars. Add egg and vanilla.
- In a smaller bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and oats. Gradually mix into creamed ingredients. Stir in the coconut, dates, and other fruit.
- Use a tablespoon scoop to place dollops of dough on parchment paper, giving them space to spread. Bake for about 15 minutes. Set on rack to cool. Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature.
- OM NOM NOM
Bready or Not: Caramel Apple Cookies
These Caramel Apple Cookies involve some extra work, but they are worth it. These are among the best cookies I have ever made. That’s saying something.
They also might involve some blood-letting. Let’s just say I will never again try to grate apple. I’m fine with finely dicing with a knife from now on.
But hey, as history and mythology has taught us, sometimes blood-letting comes to good purpose. These are chewy, sweet, soft apple cookies topped with caramel. If that’s not worth sacrifice, what is?
Use some variety of sweet-tart apple like you’d use for a pie. I used Braeburn, but Granny Smith and Jonathan are also good choices. 1 cup grated/diced is most of a medium apple.
These cookies reminded me of a fresh-made and frosted version of the Little Debbie’s Apple Delights that I loved loved loved as a kid. I have never before had a homemade cookie that was like this.
You may have some frosting leftover at the end; I had about 1/3 cup. Just look for random things you can frost like Golden Oreos, the cat, graham crackers, human flesh, etc. Trust me, you don’t want this apple-caramel frosting to go to waste.
Modified from Fall Baking 2016 by Better Homes & Gardens.
Bready or Not: Caramel Apple Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- sprinkle cloves
- sprinkle nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1/2 cup apple cider or juice
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup tart apple peeled and coarsely shredded or diced, most of a medium apple
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider or juice
- 2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth, then add brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and salt. Continue to beat until fluffy, scraping bowl as needed.
- Beat in the egg and apple cider or juice. Slowly mix in flour. Fold in the apple bits last; dough will be very soft.
- Use a tablespoon scoop to space out dollops of dough on the parchment paper. Bake about 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown; be careful not to under-bake, as the cookies need to be sturdy enough to be frosted. Completely cool cookies on wire rack.
- When the cookies are cool, begin making frosting on stovetop. On medium heat in small saucepan, stir together brown sugar, butter, and apple cider or juice. Heat until the brown sugar is dissolved. Gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar.
- Begin frosting cookies immediately; the back of a spoon works well. If the frosting in the pan begins to harden, stir in a few drops of hot water until it is smooth again.
- Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature with wax paper between the layers.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars
Happy Halloween! Today I bring you a major treat, no tricks. These Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars will boggle your mind in the best kind of way.
That’s because these bars really do, in fact, taste like a combination of Snickerdoodles and Pumpkin Pie. Crazy, right?
And since those two things are delicious, that means these bars are REALLY REALLY GOOD. Not just the flavors, but the combination of textures.
That’s because these are soft and dense, easy to eat in hand or with a fork. The ones in the middle might end up a little gooier, though. Not necessarily a bad thing.
The list of ingredients looks long but it actually comes together pretty fast. The ingredients are so alike, I didn’t even bother washing the bowl and beater, which saved a lot of time and effort.
This makes a full 13×9 pan, so this is perfect for a potluck or family gathering. They might get softer after the two day point, but they will still be tasty.
Bready or Not: Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars
Ingredients
Cookie Layer
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pumpkin Pie Layer
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice heaping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 15 ounce pumpkin puree
Topping
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- To make the cookie layer, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Once they are smooth, add the eggs and vanilla. Next, mix in the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan.
- Next up is the pumpkin pie layer. No need to wash the bowl. Cream together the butter and sugar followed by the eggs and vanilla. Add the baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and flour. Once they are just mixed, fold in the pumpkin puree. Spread the everything over the cookie layer.
- Spoon together the topping and add it evenly over the top of the dough.
- Bake for 38 to 41 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (though it may still be softer when cut). Cool at room temperature at least an hour, then chill in fridge for several hours. Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board to slice up.
- Keep stored chilled in a sealed container between waxed paper layers. Best consumed within 2 days; bars get mushier after that, but are still tasty.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies
Do you like soft, cakey cookies? Do you like pumpkin? Oh, do I have the recipe for you!
These Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies are stunning. The cookies are soft and tender in the mouth, and the maple glaze adds just the right touch of sweetness.
I’ve done this annual feature of pumpkin recipes for several years now, and I think this is one of my all-time favorite recipes. It’s not just that it tastes good–it’s textually pleasing, too.
Do note that the dough needs to chill for a while, and even when cold, it can be difficult to work with. Be patient and prepare to have sticky fingers.
Trust me, it’ll be worthwhile in the end.
Modified from a recipe included with ads for Reynolds Parchment Paper.
Bready or Not: Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
Maple Glaze:
- 1 1/4-1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon maple flavor
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a big bowl, beat together the white sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl, then mix in vanilla and egg, followed by the pumpkin puree. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients.
- Cover dough and chill in fridge for at least two hours; overnight is fine.
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a tablespoon scoop to place dollops of batter spaced out on the sheets; the dough will be sticky to work with.
- Bake cookies until golden brown, about 13 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets.
- To make the maple glaze, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, butter, maple flavor, and a tablespoon of water. Add more water or sugar, as needed, to reach a thick yet spreadable consistency. Use the back of a spoon to swirl a thin layer of glaze atop each cookie.
- Store cookies, between layers of parchment or wax paper, in a sealed container up to 3 days.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Pumpkin Caramel Chip Bars
Caramel chips are a new and awesome thing in stores, and I couldn’t help but try pairing them with pumpkin in these bars. The result? YUM.
This is modified from a recipe I shared about a year ago for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars.
I didn’t simply switch out the kinds of chips. I also decreased the spices. I wanted enough to add some flavor, but I didn’t want them to be spice cake-like as in the old version.
The use of bread flour creates bars that are especially thick and cakey. Unlike a standard frosted cake, these travel very well. The bars are nice and cohesive.
I like to place waxed paper between layers to prevent sticking and melting chips (because in Arizona, well, it’s still hot at this time of year).
Bready or Not: Pumpkin Caramel Chip Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup bread flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups caramel chips divided
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flours, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Stir in most of the caramel chips; coating them with flour will keep them from sinking as they bake. Set bowl aside.
- In a big mixing bowl, combine the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Once that's mixed, slowly blend in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the ready pan and smooth out. Sprinkle the remaining caramel chips over the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test in the middle. Cool completely. Lift up by the foil and place on a cutting board to cut bars. Store in a sealed container at room temperature or chilled. Since pumpkin can be a little sticky, use parchment or wax paper between stacked layers of bars.
- OM NOM NOM!
