Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters we learned long ago--at our mother's apron strings-- that one of the keys to successfully surviving days with scores of children about is to have a freezer well stocked with rolls of slice and bake "icebox" cookies. Easy to make on demand by the handful, dozen, or cookie tin full for midnight snack, after school treat, or gift to a neighbor in need.
Our mothers and grandmothers knew how to make this work. Pick a day when you are in the kitchen anyway, cooking something that needs a constant eye, or in today's world, if there is something you want to watch on television and don't want to just sit there. Mix up and form the rolls. Wrap them securely--we've been using the "Press-n-seal" plastic wrap and then put them in s freezer bag. A small investment for a lot of easy pleasure.
If you have kids, or grandkids, around these are wonderful recipes to make with them. I've cooked with our young grandsons. We all know how it goes. They can be all excited about the project, but after about five or ten minutes the lure of matchbox cars takes over. By dividing the project in half, you have the perfect project. The Butterscotch in particular work with for making with kiddos -- Mix the dough with a spoon, or even with "perfectly clean" hands and then come back to it later.
Since we stared taking these to book talks we've found many a person had the same memories. And, they, like us, had not made these wonderful cookies in years. Post a picture of the Date Pinwheel and the "likes" will explode across Facebook. the chocolate spirals are fancy, but for flavor give me the Old Fashioned Butterscotch. We've shared that recipe in this community before but it is well worth repeating.
Classic 1950s Ice Box Cookies
(makes 8 dozen cookies -- but not all at the same time!)
2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup melted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Stir the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla together until completely blended. Add the dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly then stir in the nuts. Knead the dough with hands if necessary to get a smooth dough. Divide the dough into quarters. Form each roll into a log about one inch high and one inch wide. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours in refrigerator. (You can firm dough more quickly in the freezer for about 20 minutes.)
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease baking sheets. Slice dough about one-eighth inch thick with a sharp knife. Place sliced on baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 8 dozen -- but not, necessarily, at the same time.
Classic Date Pinwheels from the 1950s
These Date Pinwheels can be a bit messy to make. And be sure the dough is very, very cold when you slice them. But they are well worth the effort to have on hand in the freezer. If you want to be totally indulgent, frost them with a bit of burned butter icing--just a glaze. Oh my!
Date-Filled Icebox Pinwheel Cookies
Filling:
1 pound pitted, dried,dates
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
Cookie Dough
1 cup shortening or butter at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon banilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups flour
First make the date filling. Cut the dates into small pieces. Combine with the sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the dates fall apart, making a jam-like mixture. (Note: if the dates are very dry, you might have to help them along with a few pulses from an immersion blender.) Set this mixture aside to cool while you make the dough.
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars. Stir in the vanilla and eggs, mixing well. Stir in the baking soda and flour. To make the cookies--cover your work surface with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Divide the dough in half and roll out one half into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick. Carefully spread the half the cooled date jam over the cookie dough. Then, using the paper wrap as an aid, roll the dough up from the long side, making a spiral of date filling. Repeat with the other half of the dough and filling. Wrap this dough log in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Store in the refrigerator for one week, or in the freezer for months.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking sheets. Cut across the roll in 1/4-inch thick slices with a very sharp knife. Place slices on the sheets and bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Copyright 2105 Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved
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