Cinnamon Swirl Ice Box Cookies

Cinnamon Swirl Ice Box Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 sticks butter, softened and cut in pieces

2 Tbsp cream cheese, softened

2 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Using stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter one piece at a time and mix until crumbly. Add cream cheese and vanilla, and mix until combined. Knead the dough by hand a few times to make a smooth ball.

Divide the dough in half. Roll out one of the dough halves between two sheets of wax or parchment paper dusted lightly with flour, forming a 12x7 inch rectangle. Combine 3 Tbsp sugar and cinnamon (I like to make two batches of 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon so both rectangles will have the same amount.) Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over rolled out dough. Lightly spray water over cinnamon sugar (this helps the dough stick when you roll it up).

Starting on the short side, roll the dough into a tight log like you would with cinnamon rolls. I've found that it helps to carefully lift the parchment paper as you roll so that the dough is already a little bent as you roll it. Gently pinch or smear the seam so that the outside of the log is smooth.

Repeat these steps with the second half of the dough.

Wrap the rolled up dough in saran wrap and store in the fridge. To keep the log round, you can cut a paper towel roll lengthwise and wrap it around the dough.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, allow the dough to soften on the counter for about ten minutes so it's easier to cut. Unwrap the log and use a knife to make light lines in the dough to guide where you will slice. Each log will make 24 cookies, so I make a line in the center, then a line between the center and the edge on each side, then a line in the middle of each of those segments, and finally divide all eight of those segments into three to make 24 total. Use a sharp knife to slice the cookies and place them on a cookie sheet. You need to use a straight knife because the cookies will fall apart with a serrated knife.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, and allow the cookies to cool on the pan. Makes 48 cookies.

Notes: This recipe comes from the book The Perfect Cookie by America's Test Kitchen. It took me a few tries and modifications before I figured out how to make this recipe work for me, but even the first batch that looked a little rough tasted fantastic. They do take a little work on the front end when you're rolling up the dough logs, but then when you're ready to bake them it takes just a few minutes to slice the cookies and put them in the oven. They're a nice cookie for bringing to a party or picnic because they look so pretty.