One really nice thing about Moosewood is that we often hear from lots of people: people who have our cookbooks, people who used to live in Ithaca or work at Moosewood, people who have simply noticed our website. Sometimes they tell us about a new restaurant or a new cookbook they’ve discovered, or they just talk about food, but best of all is when someone sends a recipe they think we should try—and usually they’re right. This recipe came to us from longtime friend and talented cook David Gershan, who lives in San Francisco.
We pass it on to you because it makes a simple, homey butter cookie that is very easily and quickly made in a food processor. A log of this cookie dough can wait in the freezer for a couple of weeks until the perfect time comes along for an almost instant warm and fragrant batch of cookies.
Yields 24 cookies
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: at least 30 minutes
Baking time: 18 to 22 minutes
2 cups flour (pastry flour preferred)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon salt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup raisins
Place all the ingredients except the raisins in the bowl of a food processor. Process until a dough forms, about 30 seconds. Add the raisins and process for just a couple of seconds to distribute them evenly. Lay a 20-inch length of waxed paper on the countertop. Scrape the dough out of the processor bowl along one of the long sides of the waxed paper and form a log about 14 inches long and 2½ inches in diameter. Roll up the log in the paper and twist the ends closed. Place in the freezer to firm up for at least a half hour (or up to 2 weeks, tightly wrapped).
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper.
Carefully unwrap the log of chilled dough; if the log has been in the freezer for days, give it a few minutes to warm slightly. Cut the log into ½-inch rounds; you should get about 24 slices. Place the rounds flat on the prepared baking sheet(s) at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until the edges of the cookies are brown and the centers are firm. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack or the countertop to cool.
• Add 2 tablespoons cornmeal to the flour.
• Try using orange zest instead of lemon, and dried cranberries instead of raisins.
• Use almond extract instead of vanilla, and chopped dried apricots instead of raisins.
• Add ¼ cup finely chopped candied ginger instead of dried fruit.