PISTACHIO CRANBERRY ICEBOX COOKIES : from Gour-met magazine, which folded last year. Keep the dough in the refrigerator, and you can bake and serve the cookies within a half hour.
St. Paul Pioneer Press Makes about 3 dozen cookies. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 sticks ( 3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest 1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) shelled pistachios (not dyed red) 1/3 cup (1 1/4 ounces) dried cranberries 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/4 cup decorative sugar (preferably coarse) To make dough: In bowl, combine flour, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, combine butter, granulated sugar and zest. Using electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat for 3 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing just until dough comes together in clumps. Mix in pistachios and cranberries. To form logs: Gather and compress dough. Divide in half. Using sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper, form each piece of dough into 1 1/2-inch-diameter log. Square off long sides -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- of each log to form bar. Wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 2 hours or until very firm. To prepare oven, baking sheets: Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. To slice cookies: Brush egg over all 4 long sides of bars (but not ends). Sprinkle decorative sugar on separate sheet of parchment or wax paper. Press bars into sugar, coating well. Cut each bar crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rotating bar after cutting each slice to preserve square shape. (Note: If dough gets too soft to slice, freeze bars briefly until firm.) Arrange cookies about 1/2 inch apart on lined baking sheets. To bake cookies: Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are pale golden. Using slotted spatula, transfer cookies from parchment to racks. Cool completely. Cooks' note: Dough bars can be chilled up to 3 days or frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil, for 1 month (thaw frozen dough in refrigerator just until dough can be sliced). _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list [email protected] http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark
