Refrigerator Spice Cookies

Method

This delicious recipe comes from Beard's 1972 book, American Cookery.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Cream the butter, then cream in the sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and the eggs. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Combine with the butter mixture until well blended.

Divide the dough into 3 or 4 parts and form rolls that are approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Roll them up in wax paper or aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator or freezer until firm, about an hour.

With a sharp knife, slice into 1/4-inch rounds. Place on cookie sheets and cook until lightly browned at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Yield

5 dozen cookies