Saturday, January 26, 2008

Martha Stewart + Paper Towel Rolls = Pretty Cookies


But when you're baking on a whim, you might not have extra paper towel rolls just sitting around. So, my Icebox Butter Cookies aren't Martha-pretty, although I do notice that even in her cookbook, she only shows the pretty RAW dough slices. These just look a little like the frog before the kiss if you ask me. However, they are pretty good. Perhaps they would have been perfection if I had an empty cardboard tube to slip them in while chilling. Who knows?


I do know, though, that this recipe makes the best cookie dough I have ever snuck when I thought no one was looking. I made the variation with chopped pecans, and after quickly roasting the finely chopped nuts in a skillet, I put the dough together in minutes. Then, it was tidily rolled up in parchment paper, left to chill for an hour, then rolled in sanding sugar prior to slicing and baking. Were I to make these again, I think I'd roll them in more toasted nuts; the sanding sugar overpowers the delicate, simple flavor of the cookie itself.


At least they provided one last diversion from the work I need to do, as well as something to nibble with the coffee I'm now drinking to keep me awake to do it. So now, at 10:57 p.m., I think I'll get started on that.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I know it's more fashionable to knock Martha these days, but I love her recipes. I find she often tends toward healthier ingredients and whole foods, and they are usually quite delicious. I'm totally with you on the cookie dough, though. I've always thought that was the best part of any cookie recipe.