12 Days of Christmas Cookies
Rum Refrigerator Cookies! Soft, chewy and moist – these cookies’ cardamom and citrus notes will positively brighten your holidays. A little nuttiness from the almonds rounds out these absolutely sensational cookies.
I mean come on? Nuts, lemon, cardamom, and rum? What could possibly go wrong with that?!
Nada.
Sometimes you crack open an old cookbook and you realize that there is a reason the recipe has been lost for decades, and sometimes what you find completely surprises you.
These Rum Refrigerator cookies took my taste buds completely by surprise and refused to let go.
I don’t like to pick favorites but these cookies were not only my favorite cookie that I made this year but one of my favorite Christmas cookies of all time.
Yes, of ALL TIME people.
Right up there with Mom’s Gingerbread Boys and these Cherry Pecan Cookies. These are elite ranks.
No joke [Actually I never joke about cookies].
I can’t even with these cookies. Gahh the flavor!
And they are incredibly easy…
Make the dough; shape into a log and refrigerate; cut and bake whenever you damn well please.
See? Easy.
Or at least it would have been if I had been able to find candied lemon peel.
I mean seriously. I live in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world and I could not find candied zest. No even at Whole Foods – the Mecca of all things foodie.
So I did what any self-respecting pastry cook would do.
I made my own.
I lovingly peeled, julienned and candied 6 lemons and 4 oranges.
Thank God this cookie was worth every minute.
When I tasted the final cookie I wished the rum flavor were more prominent. It is a “Rum” Refrigerator Cookie is it not?
On went the easy rum glaze.
Depending on how boozy you want/need your Christmas to be, feel free to drizzle or flood.
What? Stop judging.
You could substitute candied orange peel for the lemon and these cookies would be equally delightful.
In fact, I think I’ll do that tomorrow.
Allegedly this recipe is supposed to make 13 ½ dozen cookies.
Ummm. I made 40.
You should make 40 too. Give or take 5 depending on how much dough you consume.
This is a serious conversation. Show me someone who never eats cookie dough and I’ll show you a liar.
Mmm hmm.
And this dough is gooooood.
These Rum Refrigerator Cookies are for the second day of my 12 Days of Christmas Cookies! You won’t want to miss the Cranberry Cinnamon Jam Bars from yesterday!
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Rum Refrigerator Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 40 Cookies 1x
Description
Soft, chewy and moist – these cookies’ cardamom and citrus notes will positively brighten your holidays. A little nuttiness from the almonds rounds out these absolutely sensational cookies.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (bright yellow parts only!)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- 1/3 cup finely chopped almonds
- 1/3 cup finely chopped candied lemon peal
For the Rum Glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon rum (make sure it’s decent!)
Instructions
To Make the Cookies:
- Add lemon zest to the sugar and toss to mix and distribute the lemon throughout. This helps bring out the lemon flavor and break up any clumps of zest. I usually do this first and then measure everything else out. The longer it sits, the better the flavor!
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can use a hand mixer) cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. If your butter is actually room temperature, and you don’t live in an igloo, this should only take 1-2 minutes maximum!
- Add egg and beat until fluffy. Add rum and beat to combine.
- Sift dry ingredients directly into the bowl all at once; mix on low speed until just combined.
- Fold in almonds and candied lemon peal. I do this in the mixer on low. Just be careful not to overmix.
- In parchment paper, shape into two 2-inch rolls. Wrap and chill until firm – several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Cut ¼ inch slices, place on parchment lined baking sheets.
- Bake 7-8 minutes. Seriously, take them out. They’re done.
- Cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
To Make the Rum Glaze:
- In a small bowl whisk together the rum and powdered sugar until smooth. Check the taste and consistency of your glaze. Add an additional teaspoon if desired. It is too thick if it doesn’t run smoothly from the tip of the whisk and too thin if it is not white or just slightly off-white in color. If your glaze gets to thin, just add powdered sugar.
- Transfer to a disposable piping bag or ziplock baggie. Cut a small hole in the bag or in the corner of the baggie.
- Delicately drizzle the glaze over the cookies while on the rack or you can flood the cookies with glaze. To flood simply draw a circle with the glaze about ¼ inch inside the edge and then squeeze the bag to fill the circle you drew.
- Let dry before stacking. Not eating. You can eat anytime. I know I did…
Notes
If you are going to flood your cookies with glaze, double the recipe above. Obviously it takes a lot more glaze to do that.
The dough with keep for a week in the refrigerator, and the cookies stay soft for up to 4 days stored in an airtight container.
More Cookies to make the season bright!
Grandma’s Molasses Sugar Cookies
Spiced Apple Cider Cranberry Cupcakes
Soft Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
8 Comments
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen
December 7, 2015 at 1:54 pmLove this recipe, Linds! I am so with you on the rum thing (just posted my favorite rum and almond sandwiched shortbread cookie) and I simply adore anything with candied citrus…lemon or orange! In fact, I couldn’t resist adding candied ginger and orange, also cranberries, to my glazed pecans this year. 🙂 It’s always a major victory when you find that one vintage recipe that is a treasured gem! I have a few of those Wisconsin Electric Company vintage cookbooks, LOL! Our aunts in Northern Michigan used to send them to me from family in Madison. I treasure each and every one of my vintage “cook booklets”. Cannot wait to make this cookie. Mmmm. Thanks for sharing, my friend! xo
Medha @ Whisk & Shout
December 7, 2015 at 2:59 pmThese cookies are so classy! Cardamom and citrus and rum? What a fancy little cookie 🙂
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Jana
February 25, 2017 at 7:53 amHi Lindsey, these Cookies are very, very good, I just left out the candied lemon peal, because I don´t like it.
They are really easy to make and so yummy (:
Thank you for the recipe
Carla
December 7, 2017 at 2:17 pmThese look great! Quick question: have you tried freezing the dough?
Lindsey
December 26, 2017 at 10:57 pmHi Carla. Absolutely! Just freeze the logs and thaw before cutting and baking!
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