12 Days of Cookies - Day 11: Claire's Mix-n-Match ShortbreadClassic Shortbread Cookies in 4 Ingredients with added 1 ingredient Variations Recipe courtesy Claire Robinson
Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 14 min Level: Easy Serves: approximately 65 cookies Ingredients Classic Version in 4 ingredients: a.. 2 cups all-purpose flour b.. 1/2 teaspoon salt c.. 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar d.. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract e.. 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into chunks f.. 1 teaspoon water Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Add the flour, salt, and powdered sugar to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add in the vanilla, the butter and the 1 teaspoon of water. Pulse together just until a dough is formed. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 5 inches long. Tightly twist each end of the wrap in opposite directions. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Slice the log into 1/3-inch thick disks. Arrange on nonstick cookie sheets, parchment lined or silpat lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are just light brown, about 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans half way through the baking process. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Tansfer to wire racks and cool until room temperature. Enjoy! Tips: Store in airtight container for up to a week or freeze uncooked log for up to a month. Also, use the freshest ingredients possible for the best tasting cookies. Variations: Chai Spice Tea Shortbread Cookies: a.. 2 tablespoons loose chai tea, or from approximately 6 tea bags Pulse together the tea with the flour and salt in a food processor just until the tea is in small pieces evenly distributed throughout the flour. Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, the butter and the 1 teaspoon of water. Continue as instructed above. Toasted Pecan Shortbread Fingers: a.. 1/2 cup toasted and chopped pecans b.. Plus extra powdered sugar, for dusting finished cookies Pulse the toasted and chopped pecans into the dough and then shape into a flattened round disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. On a flour dusted surface, roll the dough out to approximately 1/3-inch thick. (If the dough is too hard to roll or begins to crack, let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes until pliable.) With a sharp knife, cut the dough into rectangle shapes about 1 by 3-inches. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets and follow the cooking instructions as above. Dust slightly cooled cookies with powdered sugar through a fine mesh strainer. Printed from FoodNetwork.com on Thu Dec 10 2009 © 2009 Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list [email protected] http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark
