Simple Shortbread

An unlikely pair: Glamorous chocolate mousse and simple shortbread for dessert.

Okay - when it comes to cookies, plain-Jane shortbread isn't going to win a beauty contest. But as we all should know, that's not what's most important.

It's what's on the inside that counts, and in my mind shortbread wins the hospitality award every time. Its sweet buttery deliciousness is comforting, welcoming and people love it.

For a recent dinner, I put a slice of shortbread next to a fancy homemade chocolate mousse and although the latter was delicious, I kid you not, it really was the shortbread that I loved most.

The shortbread was also way easier to make that's why I'm calling the recipe Simple Shortbread.

Here's how to make it:

Simple Shortbread
(makes 16 cookies)

2 cups flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons granulated sugar


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Cream together the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add the salt and baking powder and mix well. Finally add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms.

Mix the dough just until it comes together.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pie pan and press it evenly into the pan.

Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Using your hands, press the dough evenly into the pan.

Use a sharp knife to score the dough into 16 wedges. Use a fork to prick the dough. Sprinkle the top with the granulated sugar.

Score the dough into 16-wedges.

Prick the wedges with a fork.

Almost ready for the oven.

Finally, sprinkle on the two tablespoons of granulated sugar. Now it's ready to bake!

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Following the score marks, cut the shortbread into wedges. It's important to cut the wedges while the shortbread is warm.

While the shortbread is warm, follow the score marks and cut into wedges. Let the cookies cool before removing from the pan and serving.

Let cool before serving.

Cherry Shortbread Cookies

A recipe suggestion from my friend Jennifer and a lack of refrigerator space led me to create these cherry shortbread cookies.

A while back, Jennifer, who also happens to be a chef, mentioned that she made some wonderful sour cherry shortbread from Leslie Mackie's "Macrina Bakery and Cafe" cookbook.

I found the recipe and liked it but knew I couldn't follow it precisely since it called for rolling the dough into two large rectangles and then chilling them on two sheetpans in the refrigerator. I don't have that much refrigerator space! I wish I did.

My solution was to change the recipe's ingredients and method a bit. Instead of chilling the sheets of dough, I rolled the dough into logs that I could fit into my fridge and then sliced them into cookies.

Before cutting, I brushed the logs with egg white and rolled them in granulated sugar for a sweet and pretty coating around the edges.

I also increased the amount of dried cherries by 1/4 cup, substituted dark brown for the light brown sugar and added 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. In my baking, I've discovered that the flavor of almond and cherry are kissing cousins and a bit of almond extract in cherry desserts really enhances them.

These cookies come together fast and you'll get five dozen with just one batch.


Cherry Shortbread
(makes 5 dozen)

1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup tart dried cherries, chopped (I like Tart Montmorency Cherries from Trader Joe's)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg white
granulated sugar

In a stand mixer, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour, salt. Mix until combined and add the butter, a bit at a time. The mixture will look dry at first but then magically come together as you add the last bit of butter. Add the cherries, vanilla and almond extract and mix just until well combined.

The mixture will look like this before you add the cherries and flavorings.

Divide the dough into three parts. Roll each part into a 12 to 15 inch log that is about 1 1/2 -inches in diameter. Wrap each log with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until the logs are very firm.

Roll each third of the dough into a log. I find that it is easiest to roughly shape the dough, wrap it in the plastic wrap and then roll some more.

Place the logs in the refrigerator to cool for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line four baking sheets with parchment paper.

Brush one log at a time with egg white and coat with granulated sugar. Slice the log into 1/4 thick cookies and place on sheetpans leaving at least 1-inch space between them.

Brush each log with egg white and roll in granulated sugar.

Leave space between the cookies because they will spread a bit.

 Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until just golden brown around the edges. Let cool before removing from the sheet pan.

Let the cookies cool before packaging.

A package of cookies ready to give. I made three stacks of three cookies in cupcake papers and then placed them in a food safe cellophane bag. A pretty bow is a nice touch.

Lemon Lime Brown Sugar Shortbread

My lime sugar purchase from Spice Station in Los Angeles (see my August 9, 2012 post) inspired me to create this Lemon Lime Brown Sugar Shortbread recipe.

I knew I wanted a simple cookie that would compliment the intense flavor of the lime sugar. In the end I also decided to add a touch of light lemon royal icing to make the sugar stick and enhance the look and flavor of the cookie.

I really like how they turned out and they are simple to make. The dough is nothing but butter, dark brown sugar and flour. It's also easy to handle — There is no chilling required.

Lemon Lime Brown Sugar Shortbread
(makes 3 dozen)

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed
2 1/3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Use a stand mixer and a paddle attachment to combine the butter with the sugar. Add the flour and mix until a dough forms.

Transfer the dough to lightly floured work surface and roll out the dough until it's 1/3 of an inch thick. Use your hands and a rolling pin to shape it into a rectangle that can be cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. Or you can use a cookie cutter to cut the cookies.

The dough ready to be cut into squares.

Be sure to prick the cookies with a fork before baking.

Prick the cookies with a fork and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges.

Let the cookies cool before icing and sprinkling with lime sugar.

To Decorate:

Royal Icing
1 tablespoon meringue powder
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2/3 cup powdered sugar
food coloring (optional)

2 oz. lime sugar (you can find it online at http://spicestationsilverlake.com/ )


With a whisk thoroughly mix together the meringue powder, water and lemon extract.

Lemon extract adds a little zest to the royal icing.

Transfer to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and add the powdered sugar. Beat until thick and smooth. Add food coloring if desired.

Before transferring to a piping bag, make sure the icing is flood consistency. You may need to add a little bit of water to thin it out. When you draw lines through the icing with a spoon it should smooth out in 10 seconds.

Transfer to a piping bag with a #2 tip and outline and fill the top of the cookie. Immediately sprinkle with lime sugar.

Sprinkling the lime sugar onto the cookie over a paper coffee filter is helpful so that you can shake off the excess and simple lift up the filter to pour the sugar back into your bowl.

Outline.

Fill.

Sprinkle.

All done.