Ribbon Icebox Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• For the vanilla dough: Mix the 2 sugars and the salt together in a medium bowl. In another small bowl, whisk the egg and mint extract and set aside. With a hand held mixer beat the butter until smooth in a large bowl. While mixing, gradually add the sugar mixture, and continue beating until lightly colored and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stop mixing and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg mixture and beat until smooth. Gradually add the flour, mixing slowly until blended.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl, divide in half. Place the halves between 2 pieces of lightly floured parchment or waxed paper. Roll into a 10 by 12 by 1/4 inch rectangle. Slide the sheets of dough/parchment sheets onto a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.
• For the chocolate dough: Whisk the sugar, cocoa, salt in a medium bowl. With a hand held mixer beat the butter until smooth in a large bowl. While mixing, add the cocoa mixture, and continue beating until lightly colored and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stop mixing and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Gradually add the flour, mixing slowly until blended.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl, divide in half. Place the halves between 2 pieces of lightly floured parchment or waxed paper. Roll into a 10 by 12 by 1/4 inch rectangle. Slide the sheets of dough/parchment sheets onto a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.
• For a spiral cookie: Put 1 of the chocolate doughs on the workspace and remove the top sheet of parchment. Brush dough lightly with cold water. Place a sheet of vanilla dough on the workspace, and remove top sheet of paper. Using the bottom piece of the paper to lift the dough, place the vanilla dough on top of the chocolate dough. Take care to line up the edges of the 2 doughs and trim as needed. Lightly press to smooth and seal the doughs together. Remove the top piece of paper. Brush the surface of the dough lightly with cold water. Position the sandwiched doughs with the long edge facing you. Using the edge of the paper as a guide, roll the doughs into a tight cylinder, 2 inches wide. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Repeat with remaining 2 sheets of dough.
• Evenly position racks in the oven, and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Slice the dough crosswise into 1/4-inch thick cookies. Lay about 1/2-inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until just golden - not too dark you'll lose the definition of the spiral, about 14 to 16 minutes.
• Roll and layer the two doughs into 15 by 18-inch rectangles, and 1/4-inch thick in the same way as the Spiral Cookies. Put 1 of the chocolate doughs on the work space and remove the top sheet of parchment. Brush lightly with a little cold water. Place 1 of vanilla doughs on the work space. Remove top sheet of paper, and use the bottom piece of the paper to lift the dough onto the chocolate dough. Take care to lining up the edges of the dough. Lightly press to smooth and seal the doughs together. Remove the top parchment.
• Trim the edges on the layered doughs with a pizza cutter using a ruler or other straight edge as a guide. Working with the short edge facing you, cut the layered dough in half vertically. Set 1 piece on top of the other and then turn the dough, to have the long side facing you. Cut the dough in half again and set 1 piece on top of the other. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours before slicing.
• Trim any uneven edges with a sharp knife. Slice blocks into 1/8-inch thick rectangles and bake until the white dough is just beginning to brown, about 16 to 18 minutes.
• Copyright (c) 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.

Steps:

• Once the flour is incorporated according to dough recipe, beat in the desired mix-in. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Shape each into a 10-inch log (or a 10-inch-long triangular, rectangular, or square-shaped log). Coat each in ground nuts or sanding sugar, if using. Wrap in parchment. Refrigerate until very firm, about 2 hours.
• Slice dough crosswise slightly thicker than 1/8 inch. Reshape if needed. Bake at 350 degrees on parchment-lined baking sheets until firm, 12 to 14 minutes.

Steps:

• Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar gradually. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well after each addition.
• In another bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Slowly add to the butter mixture, making sure all ingredients are incorporated.
• Divide dough into three equal parts. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one third, mixing until the color is even. Add cocoa and pecans to one third, mixing well. Leave the other third plain.
• Line a loaf pan with wax paper or foil. Press the chocolate layer into the bottom of the pan, pressing firmly to make the dough as flat and even as possible on top. Add the plain dough to the pan, again making an even layer on top of the chocolate. On top of the plain dough, add the red, pressing down flat on top. Wrap the dough completely, leave it in the loaf pan, and chill over night, or until firm enough to slice.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove dough from loaf pan and place on cutting board. Cut the dough lenghth-wise, down the middle, so you have two long "bars" of dough. Put one bar back in the refrigerator, to keep chilled while you work with the other.
• Slice into about 1/8" slices, or thicker if you like them a little softer. The thinner they are sliced, the crispier they will be.
• Bake for about 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Take them out when the bottoms are just browned. Try not to overbake, or they will lose their pretty color.
• Cool on wire rack.

Steps:

• In a food processor, process the cranberries, jam or preserves, and sugar until coarsely pureed.
• Transfer the mixture to a small, heavy saucepan.
• Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until it just comes to a boil, immediately remove from the heat.
• Let stand until cooled slightly. Stir in the almond extract.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until well chilled, or freeze for 30 minutes, to speed chilling.(the filling may be refrigerated for up to 4 days, return to room temperature before using.
• DOUGH:.
• In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the sugar and butter until well blended and smooth. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat till well blended. Beat or stir in flour mixture just until evenly incorporated. Let the dough stand for 10 minutes, or until firmed up slightly.
• Line a 4 1/2"x8 1/2" loaf pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil overhang the long sides by about 3", this will keep the plastic wrap surrounding the dough from sticking to the pan. On top of the foil, line the pan with two long sheets of plastic wrap laid crosswise, overlapping the middle and overhanging the longer sides by almost 4". Divide the dough into 4 portions. Working on a large sheet of wax paper, roughly pat each portion into the shape of the loaf pan. Pat one dough portion firmly into the pan bottom, forming a smooth, even layer. Using a rubber spatula, spread one third of the filling over the dough in the pan, the filling may seem stiff, but spread it as evenly as possible. Repeat the layers, using all four dough portions and all the fruit filling. Fold the plastic wrap over the dough. Freeze until the loaf is cold and very firm, at least 1 1/2 hours and preferably longer.The dough can then be transferred to a plastic bag and frozen for up to one month.
• Preheat the oven to 350*. Greaze several baking sheets or use nonstick spray.
• Carefully peel the plastic wrap from the loaf. .using a large, sharp knife, trim off and discard the excess dough so the sides of the loaf are straight up and down, rather than flared; wipe the knife clean between cuts (if the loaf is too hard to cut easily, let stand for a few minutes, don't let it thaw too much, or it will be more difficult to slice cleanly. Carefully cut the loaf crosswise into thirds, forming three 2 3/4x4" blocks. Working with one block at a time, keep others refrigerated, cut each third into 1/4" slices to produce 2 3/4" long ribbons, wipe the knife clean between cuts. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the slices to the baking sheets, placing them cut side up about 2" apart. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time in the upper third of the oven, reversing sheets halfway through baking from front to back to ensure even browning for 9-14 minutes or just until slightly darker at the edges. Using a spatula, immediately transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to one month.