Refrigerator Cookie Recipe

Honey – Lemon Refrigerator Cookies
10 tbsp. unsalted butter
2/3 cup mild-flavoured honey
2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
pinch of salt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp grated lemon zest
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cloves, to taste

In a food processor or electric mixer, cream the butter and honey. Beat in the vanilla, egg, salt, lemon juice and zest. Gradually add the flours and cloves. The dough will be very soft and sticky.

Divide the dough in half and, using a spatula, spread it on 2 long pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap. Don’t be intimidated by how wet the dough is; use the spatula to spread the dough on the paper, then carefully shape it into a cylinder about 2 inches in diameter and roll it up in the paper. Don’t worry if your cylinder isn’t perfectly round; these cookies usually have very irregular shapes. Place the dough in the freezer for 2 hours, or refrigerate it overnight. (Can be made days in advance this way).

About 45 minutes before baking time, put the dough, if refrigerated, in the freezer to facilitate cutting. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 4 baking sheets.

Unwrap the chilled dough, cut off 1/4 of the log, and return the rest of the dough to the freezer so it doesn’t soften. Cut the dough in very thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick or even thinner, if possible. Place the slices on the baking sheets, about 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and crisp. While the first batch is baking, slice more cookies and place them on the remaining baking sheets. When the cookies are done, transfer them to a rack and allow to cool. Store in a tightly sealed tin.

Makes 4 dozen.

I especially like refrigerator cookies. I usually make ones with red and green candied cherries for Xmas. I will be looking for the recipe again this year in a couple of months. Seems odd that Christmas isn’t all that far away. Of course, my birthday is that month too so that’s hanging over my head too. I didn’t used to feel that way about birthdays. I don’t mind getting older it’s just the number that bothers me.

This recipe came from a book "Feasts & Fetes" by Martha Rose Shulman. I haven’t tried the recipe but wanted to keep it where I could find it easily. The book is one my Mom picked up from one of our GoodWill excursions.