  We present 3-5 micron VLT-ISAAC spectroscopy searching for evidence of
methanol ices in edge-on disks of young embedded stars. Examples include the
disks of L1489 IRS in Taurus and CRBR 2422.8-3423 in Ophiuchus, the last of
which has the highest column density of solid CO known toward a YSO. We find no
unambiguous evidence for abundant methanol in the observed disks, but give
strict upper limits. Several additional low-mass sources in the Serpens and
Chameleon molecular clouds exhibit abundant solid methanol, although it is not
clear if the ice is associated with a disk or with the envelope. These are the
first detections of solid methanol in the circumstellar environments of
embedded young low-mass stars providing evidence that complex molecular species
previously observed only in the solid state toward high-mass star forming
regions are also present near solar-type young stars. The constraints on the
formation mechanisms of methanol and the chemical evolution of ices as the
material is incorporated into circumstellar disks are discussed.
