In fact, I usually have a log of icebox cookies in my freezer, all year long, so I can bake up some fresh cookies on a moment's notice.
These have green Crème de Menthe, and clear Crème de Cacao (in addition to chocolate) for festive green and brown swirls. Great for CHRISTMAS and ST. PATRICK's DAY **
(Slice and Bake Logs)
Crème de Menthe and Crème de Cacao
1/2 cup shortening (i.e. Crisco ~ NOT butter)
1/2 cup sugar …………………………......…............ 1 egg yolk
1-2 tsp vanilla extract……….....……………............ 1-1/2 cups flour
3 TB milk (will be used as 3 separate 1 TB uses)
1/2 tsp baking powder………......…………............. 1/4 tsp salt
1 square unsweetened/bittersweet chocolate, melted (1 oz)
1 TB Dark unsweetened cocoa powder
green food color, as desired
1 TB clear Crème de Cacao
1 TB green Crème de Menthe
***
Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly; Add egg yolk, vanilla, 1 TB milk & mix well. Whisk flour with salt & baking soda; add to first mixture. Divide dough into 2 equal portions.
To one part add melted chocolate, unsweetened cocoa powder, Crème de Cacao and 1 TB milk ~ add 1-2 drops green food coloring (or a pea-sized glob of green paste) and Crème de Menthe to other part. **
TIP: I mix the green dough w/ add-ins first. Beat the Creme de Menthe & coloring in until it somewhat forms a ball around your paddle. If necessary, gradually beat in another 1/4 cup of flour; then beat until it comes together around the paddle ~ Same for the chocolate dough ~ adding more unsweetened cocoa powder, instead of flour, if you need it to get the dough to come together around the paddle.
Roll green dough about 1/8” thick on lightly floured board or wax paper. (TIP: I use 2 pieces of waxed paper, with 2 silpat mats ~ 1 mat for each color). Roll chocolate layer to identical size; brush green dough lightly with last 1 TB of milk and put chocolate layer on top. (If you've used waxed paper, you can just bring the sheet with the chocolate layer over and flip it easily on top of the green layer.) Roll up like a jelly roll; wrap in waxed paper/saran and refrigerate (or FREEZE).
(It's best to refrigerate at least an hour or so before cutting, or the pinwheels won't be as round, because the knife will squish the dough ~ and the pinwheel pattern will look messy ~ like mine b/c I'm too impatient to wait for them to chill!)
When ready to bake, slice cookies with sharp knife (they won’t spread out when baking). Bake at 375 for 8-12 minutes (depends if frozen), until just beginning to lightly brown on bottom. Makes 2-3 dozen
You can easily double this recipe, to keep logs in the freezer. If freezing, I put the logs in large freezer zip-lock baggies and then into a Tupperware/Rubbermaid container.