Bourbon Old Fashioned Cocktail Cookies

Pending no huge finale blunders, Mad Men will likely go down in history as one of my all-time favorite shows, right up there with The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and Breaking Bad. 

It’s been particular interesting to me, because back when the show started in 2007, I was smack dab in the middle of what turned out to be a five-year stint in advertising before following my true passion.

Don Draper’s ad agency of 1960 was filled with drinking and smoking on the job, and afternoon naps in the office. My ad agency in 2007 was filled with crappy coffee, Excel spreadsheets, and mind-numbing conference calls. The one thing I can relate to Don Draper on? The love of a great Old Fashioned.

While I’m more likely to have one per week rather than 9 or 10 during an afternoon, the flavors of this cocktail will never go out of style in my book. While I’ve been known to make twists on the classic (and have perfected my best bourbon smash recipe) I generally like to make them with a demerara sugar cube, a bit of orange peel, bourbon, orange bitters, a big ol’ ice ball and a couple Luxardo cherries if I have them.

I’d been toying around with the idea of Bourbon Old Fashioned Cocktail Cookies for nearly a year now, and with the Mad Men finale coming up in just a few weeks, there truly is no time like the present. I took my family’s trusted sour cream sugar cookie recipe, and flavored it with orange bitters and zested orange peel instead of nutmeg.

I used my icing knife to generously spread each cookie with cream cheese frosting spiked with bourbon. A sprinkle of powdered sugar with my dusting wand, and a little garnish of orange peel later, and I’m ready to curl up on the couch with a plate of these cookies and see how everything turns out for Don and company.

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Bourbon Old Fashioned Cocktail Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 8 minutes

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Ingredients

For the Cookies:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) room temperature unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• Grated zest of 1 Valencia orange
• 1/2 teaspoon orange bitters
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 package (8 ounces) room temperature cream cheese
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) room temperature unsalted butter
• 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 5 teaspoons bourbon

For the Garnish (optional):

• 36 thin pieces of orange peel
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Make the Cookies: In mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, sour cream, egg and baking soda at medium speed until well combined. Gradually beat in flour, then stir in orange zest, bitters and vanilla. Cover and chill at least 1 hour, or overnight for best results.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In batches, roll chunks of dough to about 1/8-inch thickness (use well-floured surface and floured rolling pin). Cut dough using 3-inch round cookie cutters. Bake cookies 8 minutes or until they just begin to brown around the edges. Carefully transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting. If making in advance, store between layers of parchment in airtight container.
3. Make the Cream Cheese Frosting: Place cream cheese and butter in mixing bowl and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer to low; gradually mix in powdered sugar, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add bourbon; beat until well combined. If making in advance, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.
4. To serve, spread each cookie with about 1 tablespoon frosting and garnish with orange peel and powdered sugar, if desired. Cookies are best eaten the day they are frosted and served. Store any leftover cookies in refrigerator.

 

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Disclosure: OXO generously provided me with some kitchen tools and home goods at no charge. I was not otherwise compensated for writing this post, and all opinions are my own.