Cherry Icebox Cookies -- Sweet Enough to Share With the Whole Backyard Crew

Summer. The backyard is alive — Gerald II has been joined by what appears to be Mrs. Gerald, which means we're potentially looking at a groundhog family in our yard, which Megan finds delightful and I find alarming and the debate continues. The smoker is running every weekend. The porch is occupied every evening. The kitchen window is open and the breeze carries the smell of cut grass and grilling meat into the house.

Megan is six months pregnant. The baby kicks so hard now that you can see her stomach move from across the room. She's teaching summer school this year — three weeks of remedial reading for kids who need extra help — because she can't not teach. She would teach from the delivery room if they'd let her. She is, in every sense of the word, a teacher. It's not her job. It's her identity.

I started brewing the birth beer. A golden ale — light, bright, easy-drinking. The kind of beer you can have at 3 AM without regretting it at 6 AM. I'm calling it "First Light," because that's what a baby is: the first light of a new life. The head brewer tasted the test batch and said, "Simple. Good." Simple and good. The highest praise for the simplest beer. The metaphor writes itself.

Fourth of July at the house — our second hosting. Tom and Patrick grilled. Kevin's boys ran through the sprinkler. Sean's daughter chased Gerald II. Megan sat on the porch rubbing her belly and watching the chaos and she said, "Next year, he'll be in the mix." Next year. A boy in the yard. A Kowalski in the grass. Everything I've built is about to hold its first inhabitant who didn't choose to be here but will be loved as if he did.

With Kevin’s boys tearing through the sprinkler and Sean’s daughter in full pursuit of Gerald II, I needed something I could make ahead and just — have ready. No fussing over a hot stove while the party was happening in my own backyard. Megan had been on her feet all week teaching summer school, and the least I could do was show up to our own Fourth of July with something sweet already handled. These Cherry Icebox Cookies are exactly that: make the dough, park it in the fridge, slice and bake when the time comes — festive enough for the holiday, simple enough that “simple and good” covers it completely.

Cherry Icebox Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes + 2 hours chilling | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes | Servings: 48 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice (reserved from the jar)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
• 1 to 2 drops red food coloring (optional, for a deeper pink hue)

Instructions

1. Drain and prep the cherries. Drain the maraschino cherries thoroughly, reserving 2 tablespoons of the juice. Pat the cherries dry with paper towels, then chop finely. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
3. Add extracts and cherry juice. Mix in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and reserved cherry juice until fully combined. Add food coloring if desired.
4. Incorporate the dry ingredients. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour and salt, mixing just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
5. Fold in cherries and nuts. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold in the chopped cherries and nuts (if using) until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
6. Shape into logs and chill. Divide the dough in half. Shape each portion into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. The dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 1 month.
7. Preheat the oven. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. Slice and arrange. Unwrap the chilled dough logs and slice into rounds approximately 1/4 inch thick. Place slices about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
9. Bake. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are just set and the bottoms are very lightly golden. The tops should remain pale. Do not overbake — these cookies firm up as they cool.
10. Cool completely. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before storing or serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 75 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 20mg