Recipe: Homemade Refrigerator Cookie Dough with Variations

REFRIGERATOR COOKIE DOUGH WITH VARIATIONS

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla or other flavoring
3 cups flour
food color, optional
colored sugar, optional

Beat together softened butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, salt, and flavoring. Beat. Stir in flour and optional food color. Shape and roll into a 2-inch diameter log. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Unwrap cookie roll and slice into 1/8-inch thick slices. Place slices on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 6-8 minutes. Cookie will not be browned on top. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before placing on cooling rack.

VARIATIONS:

Poinsettia Arrangement:
Pinch off approximately 2 tablespoons cookie dough, set aside. Divide remaining cookie dough in half. In one half add red color, in the second half add green food color (paste food colors work best). Roll and shape each half into a 2-inch diameter log. Refrigerate as above. When ready to bake, slice as above. Dip one side of each slice in red or green colored sugar, respectively. Place slices on baking sheet and cut in half. Bake as above. When cool, arrange red into flower petals in center of serving plate. Arrange green leaves around petals. The remaining small pieces of dough, color with yellow food color, roll into small marbles, bake as above. Place the yellow marbles in the center of the poinsettia.

Pinwheels:
Divide dough in half. In one half stir in 1/3-cup cocoa. Place each half between two sheets of wax paper and roll into a 9x14 inch rectangle. Remove top pieces of wax paper on each rectangle. Using the wax paper as a support, place one cookie dough rectangle on top of the other. Remove the new top piece of wax paper. Carefully roll cookie dough into a log. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate as above. Bake as above.

Fruit Slices:
Substitute vanilla with fruit flavor (orange, lime, or lemon) and 1 tablespoon citrus zest (finely grated orange, lime, or lemon peel). Remove 1/3 the dough and set aside. To the remaining dough add appropriate food color (paste food color works best) to match the zest used. Roll dough into a 2-inch log. Flatten remaining uncolored dough between two sheets wax paper. Roll into a rectangle, wrap rectangle completely around colored log. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate as above. When ready to bake, roll log in appropriate colored sugar. Slice, place on baking sheet and cut each slice in half. Bake as above.

From: Becky Low; December 09, 2002
Source: Associated Foods Stores