Chocolate Peanut Butter "Icebox" Cookies--AND Quick Ice Cream Sandwiches

Cookbooks from a century or so ago usually included "icebox cookies" in their desserts section. These were generally quite rich cookies that could be stirred up in the evening, formed into a roll, and chilled until the next day--probably when the woodstove was being heated up to bake the day's bread as well.

Today of course we have the refrigerated cookie doughs chilling at the grocery store, waiting for you to bring them home, slice, and bake. But why not go back to the "good old days" and make some "from scratch." The following recipe is really very simple. While one member of the family is clearing away the dishes after dinner, another could be stirring up a batch of these, all the while you are both carrying on a conversation about the events of the day. Family dinners are a wonderful time to be together, but the clean up time in the kitchen can be just as much fun--really!

I found a really good buy on some dark chocolate peanut butter a few weeks ago and thought this might be a good way to use it. For me, this is a product too sweet to substitute for plain peanut butter on a sandwich, but then, I'm not a big fan of Nutella either. (And, on a side note, most of the name brand peanut butters have begun to be sweetened far more than necessary.)

As noted at the end of the recipe, you can substitute "ordinary" peanut butter if you can't find this chocolate version. My guess is that you could also sub in Nutella for the chocolate peanut butter, but I haven't tried that.

Whichever version you try, I think you'll enjoy the convenience of having this dough stirred up and ready to go for your family or stashed in the freezer for unexpected guests.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Icebox Cookies

1/3 c butter, softened
1/3 c chocolate peanut butter
3/4 c sugar
2 T baking cocoa
1 egg
3/4 t vanilla
2 T water
scant 2 c flour (this means that you will probably have about 1 7/8 c flour--err on the side of too little rather than too much!)
2 t baking powder

1.   Combine the butter and peanut butter and beat until smooth with a wood spoon. Stir in the sugar, cocoa, and egg and mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla and water and combine all into a smooth mixture.

2.   Sift or stir together the flour and baking powder and add to the peanut butter mixture. This works best if you stir in about half the flour mixture and mix until it is well blended before adding the rest of the flour and baking powder. The dough will be very stiff; don't worry!

NOTE: As in the picture, this dough is a little crumbly at first. That is okay. What you need to do is work with it like play dough, until it holds together.You do need to press firmly. If you don't, it may be more difficult to slice after chilling.

3.  Cut a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper about 18 to 20 inches long and lay on the counter. Pour the dough onto the paper and begin to shape it into a long log, keeping the circumference as even as possible from one end of the log to the other. Use the waxed paper to help in this whole process.

Lift the sides of the paper and use it to keep rolling the dough so that it becomes as circular as possible. Then wrap the dough completely with the waxed paper. It will be best to slip the roll into a plastic bag to keep the ends from drying out.








4.  Place the roll in the refrigerator at least several hours or overnight.

5.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and slice evenly into about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick slices. The thinner they are, the crisper they will be, but you do want to make them as evenly thick as possible.





6.  Lay the slices on an ungreased baking sheet. As you can see in this "before and after" baking picture, the cookies do not spread a great deal, so they can be placed relatively close together.

7.  Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes until a cookie springs back when pressed lightly in the center.  Remove to a cooling rack. They will be quite tender while hot, so handle carefully.

VARIATION:

Substitute regular peanut butter for the chocolate peanut butter and increase the amount of cocoa to 1/4 cup. Creamy peanut butter is best for this, as crunchy peanut butter will be harder to slice neatly.

If desired, you can tightly wrap the rolled up dough in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to a month or so. You do not have to thaw the dough to slice it--in fact, sometimes the frozen dough is easier to cut into very thin slices. Allow the sliced cookies to sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes to thaw before baking.

Quick Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies

These are also perfect for "mini" Ice Cream Sandwiches. You could make the cookie rolls larger in diameter, but keeping the cookies small makes these a nice size for the kids or for bite-sized desserts after a heavy meal.

 The recipe is more just a method:

Soften a pint or so of ice cream just enough to press into shape. Put a cookie, upside down, on a plate and spread a teaspoon to a tablespoon of ice cream, any flavor, evenly on the cookie. Immediately press a second cookie on top. Repeat for as many sandwiches as you want.

Immediately return the ice cream sandwiches to the freezer for an hour or so, until the ice cream is again firm. For an extra rich sandwich, you can dip the cookies in your favorite fudge sauce and roll in crushed peanuts.

Applesauce Jam Bars

When cleaning out my refrigerator recently, I discovered four partially finished jars of homemade jam. There were two jars of cherry jam, one of my own, just barely started, and another with just a little of my daughter-in-law's incredible spicy recipe--just enough for a breakfast of homemade toast with a peanut butter and jam topping. The other two jars were both my raspberry apple specialty (how do I do this, starting one before finishing the other?!?), so I poured those both into a single jar and reminded myself to use them soon.

I really needed to pare down the jam supply even further so started to look for jam bar cookie recipes, something I hadn't made for years. I was hoping to find something that didn't require lots and lots of jam yet would be the kind of cookie that would emphasize the fruity flavor.

That kind of recipe was hard to find, so I took ideas from a few that looked promising and made my own adaptions. The biggest change was to blend the jam with applesauce, toning down the sweetness while still allowing the fruit flavor to stay strong. I used my cherry jam, but any good jam would work just as well.

The result is a cookie that is less sweet than most and is something like a soft granola bar. It is important to press that first layer firmly, to be sure the cut bars don't crumble apart.

One bonus here: If you use oil or vegan margarine, these are completely vegan, something not always easy to find in cookies. Even if you use butter, you will have an egg-free, dairy-free recipe for anyone needing these special recipes.

Now I have gone from four jam jars to just one in my refrigerator, for the time being...but there is another jar of Amy's cherry jam just waiting to be opened...

Applesauce Jam Bars

Base
2 c quick rolled oats (NOT instant)
1 c whole wheat or all purpose flour
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c melted butter OR canola oil
1/2 t salt--omit if using salted butter
1/2 c applesauce, preferably unsweetened

Filling
3/4 c jam of your choice, preferably homemade
1/3 c applesauce, preferably unsweetened

1.  Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt and stir with a fork until well blended.

2.  Pour in the 1/2 cup applesauce and butter or oil and stir until evenly combined.

3.  Press about half the mixture into a well-oiled 7 X 11 or 9 inch square pan. Be sure to press firmly.

4.  Combine the jam with the 1/3 cup applesauce and spread evenly over the crumb crust.

5.  Cover with the remaining oatmeal mixture and press lightly with your fingers.

6.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes, until just beginning to turn light brown.

7.  If desired, when completely cool, sprinkle with a little powdered sugar.

Makes 24 to 36, depending on how you want to cut them.

An Easy Lemon Cake to Welcome Spring

According to T.S. Eliot, "April is the cruelest month," and this year that seemed to ring true, weather-wise. But now in May, the grass is bright green, the birds are singing, and it is time to lighten up our menus at least a little.

For me, spring is the time to bring out some lemon desserts, and this cake is super easy to put together. In fact, it is really at its best while still warm, so you could stir it up and have it baking while you eat. For some, adding a dollop of whipped cream is the best way to eat this, but it certainly is just as good without.

My guess is that this may best be eaten the first day or two because its fat content is lower than many cakes. However, I can't tell you if this is true, because it has never lasted more than a day here at my house.

First, the ReaLemon "controversy."


For some, the use of ReaLemon (or other brands of reconstituted lemon juice) is very close to heresy, and an unacceptable "processed food." However, there are several reasons why you shouldn't be afraid to use these lemon juices. I find two most compelling.

First, I have mentioned before that ReaLemon is really to be preferred when making jams and jellies, because this has a consistent acidity level. Fresh lemons can vary in acidity enough to cause problems in getting just the right "jell."

The second reason is really the primary reason why I always have a bottle of ReaLemon in my refrigerator: it's always in the refrigerator! Fresh lemons are too often too expensive for me to treat as a staple, so I have to remember to buy them if I want to make a special lemon dessert. Over the years, I have used ReaLemon to make lemon meringue pies, lemon square cookies, and this lemon cake and have always had people praise the lemony flavor.

So don't be afraid to use ReaLemon for this or many other recipes calling for lemon juice. Obviously, if you have access to fresh lemons at a reasonable price, go ahead and cook/bake with those too. Just don't forego the opportunity to have a great lemon dessert just because you don't have a "real lemon" on hand!

Oh, and what about lemon zest?

Fresh lemons have one thing ReaLemon doesn't have, peels. That distinctive lemon zest flavor could be missing here, but...did you know that lemon extract is made from the peeling, or zest, of lemons? As a result, you can get that deeper zest flavor by adding lemon extract in its place. How much? In general, it is recommended that you use half as much lemon extract as zest.

So go ahead and make this wonderful lemon cake and celebrate spring--whatever the source of your lemon juice.

Lemon Cake

Cake:
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter, melted
2 eggs
1 T lemon juice
1/2 c milk
1/2 t lemon extract OR 1 t grated lemon rind
2 c flour
1 1/2 t baking powder

Topping: 
1/3 c lemon juice
1/3 c sugar

1.  Beat the first six ingredients together until smooth and completely blended.

2.  Sift or stir together the flour and baking powder and add to the liquid ingredients. Stir just until all the flour is incorporated into the liquid.

3.  Pour the batter into a well-oiled 9 X 13 pan or 11 inch square casserole dish. (Go ahead and use one of your nicest casserole dishes, as this is a cake best served right from the pan.)

4.  Bake at 350 for about 25 to 30 minutes. It will be done when the center springs back when lightly touched or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with no batter sticking to it.

5.  While the cake is baking, stir the lemon juice and sugar together for the Topping. Be sure it is completely mixed. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes over the top with a toothpick or fork. Spread the lemon juice and sugar mixture over, covering the surface as evenly as possible.