Chocolate Refrigerator Cookies

From EatingWell: August/September 2006 — Subscribe Now!

Refrigerator cookies are a busy baker's dream: an easy dough you can keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, slicing off and making cookies as you

30 cookies

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 1/4 hours (including chilling & cooling time)

Nutrition Profile

Diabetes appropriate | Low carbohydrate | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons cool unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Whisk whole-wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Blend brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined and still a little grainy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg white and vanilla until smooth. Turn the mixer off; add the flour mixture then beat at low speed until well combined (the dough will still be crumbly). Gather the dough into a ball using your hands.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour, turn the ball of dough out onto it and form into an 8-inch-long log, about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 2 weeks (see Tip).
When ready to bake, position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Unwrap the log and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, rolling the log as you slice to prevent it from flattening. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, until just beginning to crack along the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store unbaked dough, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

While the round log of dough is chilling, it will flatten on one side, resulting in irregularly shaped cookies. To keep the log (and the cookies) round, split open a cardboard tube, such as a paper towel tube, and lay the log inside the tube before refrigerating.

Nutrition

Per cookie: 73 calories; 2 g fat (2 g sat, 0 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 32 mg sodium; 26 mg potassium.

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 other carbohydrates, 1 fat