Holiday Ice Box Cookies

I love the holidays, especially holiday foods, and most especially holiday cookies.

My files are full of holiday cookie recipes that while delicious, only appear once a year. They are like dear old friends you don't get to visit as often as you would like.

Holiday Ice Box Cookies are one such Christmas cookie recipe - old-fashioned refrigerator cookies made extra special with the addition of chopped glace cherries, pineapple, and chopped pecans.

In addition to being festive and delicious, these Icebox Cookies are easy and convenient too. Just form into logs and chill, then slice and bake at your convenience.

Holiday icebox cookie dough can be made ahead and frozen for up to a month giving you a head start on your holiday cookie baking.

Holiday Ice Box Cookies Recipe

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped glace cherries
1/2 cup chopped dried or glace pineapple
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened slightly
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Make the Cookie Dough

In a medium-size mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
In a small bowl combine the glace cherries and pineapple. Add 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture and toss with the fruit. Work the flour through the fruit with your fingers until the pieces separate.
In a large mixing bowl beat the butter on medium low speed until light and creamy.
Add the sugar and continue to beat on medium high speed until well blended, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary to make sure everything is well blended.
Add the egg and vanilla and beat until blended and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the flour mixture and blend with the mixer on low speed, or with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the fruits and pecans until they are incorporated throughout the dough.
Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll each piece into a log about 6 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Wrap each log separately in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days. (The wrapped logs of dough can also be placed in a freezer safe bag and placed in the freezer for up to a month. Slice and bake them directly from the freezer.)

Bake the Cookies

When you are ready to bake your cookies, position one rack in the middle of your oven and preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Alternatively set aside ungreased cookie sheets.
Using a sharp knife, slice log into 1/4-inch thick slices, rotating the log as you cut so it maintains it's round shape and doesn't flatten out on one side.
Transfer slices of cookie dough to cookie sheets, at least 2 inches apart.
Bake, one cookie sheet at a time, 8 to 10 minutes (a minute or two longer for frozen dough) minutes, until they are lightly golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 1 to 2 minutes before transferring the cookies with a thin metal spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container or freeze.

This recipe yields about 8 dozen Holiday Ice Box Cookies.