Coconut Icebox Cookies

I work in a veterinary hospital as a veterinary technician. My coworkers and doctors are seriously the coolest people out there, but sometimes we get really harried when emergencies come in, so I wanted to get a recipe that I could bring in fresh baked cookies in a pinch. The answer: icebox cookies. Icebox, or refrigerator cookies, are cookies that you make and then either refrigerate or freeze until they are well chilled so you can slice them into thin rounds. The Pillsbury cookie logs in the grocery store are the commercial form of these, but cannot hold a candle to homemade. The nice thing is that icebox cookies don't take very long to mix up, and since they are designed to be frozen or refrigerated, they are perfect for when you want fresh baked cookies but don't have time to whip out your mixer. So now I can bring in cookies to work in the morning, baked fresh while I am pulling on my scrubs!

Isn't she a beauty?!

Which leads me to introduce my new baby-- my pride and joy.  I recently got a kitchen-aid mixer (in tangerine, natch!) and I've decided to name her Betty.  She is amazing.  The kitchen-aid stand mixer is like the Rolls Royce of cooking accessories and have no trouble lasting for 20+ years.  My boyfriend nearly choked at the price, but thank goodness I have my target credit card plus his store discount, so I got Betty for 20% off Target's already great price.  Still, I better get cooking in order to get my money's worth!

I had leftover coconut from my Confetti Coconut Cake, so I decided to make an icebox cookie with coconut in it. I tweaked a recipe from AllRecipes.com.

Coconut Icebox Cookies

1 stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup shredded coconut


Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in egg and vanilla extract.  Mix the dry ingredients together, then slowly add them into the butter/sugar mixture, stirring well to combine in between batches of dry ingredients. Form the dough into logs approximately 2 inches in diameter (or however big you want your cookies, keep in mind they will spread).  Wrap the logs in saran wrap or waxed paper and refrigerate or freeze until firm. At this point I usually just put the logs in the freezer unless I am planning on cooking some right away, then I will pull one out of the freezer in about an hour's chilling time. Slice the log into thin rounds, about 1/4 inch wide. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, or until golden on the bottom.