18 Icebox Cookie Recipes for Fresh Slice-and-Bake Treats Anytime (2024)

FAQs

How do you slice icebox cookies evenly? ›

Now you're ready to make perfectly round Pistachio-Crusted Icebox Cookies. Now onto the final step: slicing! As you cut your dough log into individual cookies, give it a quarter-turn every three or four slices to ensure that the knife doesn't flatten one side repeatedly against the cutting board.

As a general rule of thumb, you should refrigerate cookie dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. More than that, and you won't see a noticeable difference in the final product. Once the dough has chilled, let it warm up at room temperature until it's just pliable (about 5 to 10 minutes).

All icebox cookie recipes (aka refrigerator cookies or slice-and-bake cookies) require rolling the dough into a log before going into the fridge. After a good chill, the dough is sliced and baked into delectable treats.

The Easy Way

Place the log on a sheet of plastic wrap at a long end, then roll it up to completely wrap it in plastic and twist and tie the ends together. Place it in the freezer for about an hour to firm up and then when you're ready to slice, unwrap the log and trim the rounded ends.

For flaky cookies and many shortbreads you will need very cold butter. The cold butter globs settle between layers of flour and, when baked, melt leaving pockets of air which create layers and texture. For best results, cut butter into small cubes and place them in the freezer before starting dough.

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

But the truth is, the primary reason bakers chill their dough is to prevent cookies from spreading too much. Chilling firms up the fat (usually butter) in the dough, ensuring that the dough doesn't spread too quickly in the oven.

Chilling the dough is a key step in making sugar cookies, especially when you're making cut-outs. Even if you're tight on time, make sure to get the dough in the fridge, or even the freezer, even if it's only for a little while. Skip this step, and the dough will be sticky, and much harder to work with.

What happens if you don't chill cookie dough long enough? ›

As she says, not chilling the cookie and baking at 350 degrees can result in a more crackly cookie, since the dough hasn't had enough time to absorb the flour. Chilling it for half an hour, however, gives you thicker, chewier dough.

The holes trick

There's also a new technique going around when preventing craters in a second layer of icing: poke holes in the base flood (under the area you'll cover with a second layer of icing). You can even do this when the first layer flood has completely dried!

Sometimes it's a flavor enhancer and sometimes it's a flavor balancer. But to be honest, unless it's a vanilla cookie, it's not a true dealbreaker. Especially if you're making cookies that have lots of other flavors going on, like coconut or dark chocolate.

The single biggest thing to keep in mind when making cut-out cookies is to chill the dough and keep it chilled throughout the rolling and cutting process. After mixing your cookie dough, the first step is to give the dough its first chill.

Simply measure and mark the desired width of each slice along the edge of the pan, then use a sharp knife to cut along the markings. This method can help ensure that each slice is perfectly uniform, even if you're working with an oddly shaped pan or unusual dimensions.

Any bright ideas on how to cut them without cracking and straight? Hi, Use a Hot Serrated Knife - so run the hot water and place the knife under it. Dry with a tissue and cut your tray bakes.