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Chai Shortbread
A combination of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper gives these cookies a taste reminiscent of Indian spiced tea. The fine texture of powdered sugar helps them retain the characteristic shortbread crunch.
Yield
3 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of ground cloves
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup powdered sugar
10 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon ice water
Preparation
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through pepper), stirring well with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until combined (mixture will appear crumbly). Sprinkle dough with 1 tablespoon ice water; toss with a fork. Divide dough in half. Shape dough into 2 (6-inch-long) logs; wrap each log in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour or until very firm.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Unwrap dough logs. Carefully cut each log into 18 slices using a serrated knife. Place dough circles 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
Raspberry Shortbread Sandwiches
Reminiscent of a Linzer torte, these raspberry jam-filled shortbread cookies are a beautiful addition to any holiday cookie tray. The ingredient list is short and the process is simple. Make the cookies in advance and freeze without the jam. Assemble just before serving.
Notes: Use a sharp knife, a 1/2-inch cookie cutter, or the narrow end of a 1/2-inch plain pastry tip to cut holes out of half the cookies before baking. These cookies are best eaten the day they are filled, but you can store cooled, unfilled cookies airtight at room temperature up to 3 days; freeze to store longer.
Yield
Makes about 20 sandwich cookies
Ingredients
1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raspberry jam
About 1/3 cup powdered sugar
Preparation
1. In a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour and salt and mix on low speed until dough comes together in a ball. Transfer to a lightly floured surface.
2. Divide dough in half. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each portion to about 1/8 inch thick. With a floured 2- to 3-inch round or star-shaped cutter, cut out cookies. If desired, cut a 1/2-inch circle out of the center of half of the cookies to make a window for the jam filling (see notes). Place cookies 1 inch apart on buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets. Gather excess dough into a ball, reroll, and cut out remaining cookies.
3. Bake in a 325° regular or 300° convection oven until edges are just beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. If baking more than one sheet at a time in one oven, switch positions halfway through baking. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.
4. Spread the flat side of each of half the cookies (those without holes) with about 1/2 tablespoon jam. Top each with a remaining cookie (with a hole), flat side toward filling. Sprinkle tops of cookies evenly with powdered sugar.
Scottish Shortbread
With just four ingredients, these buttery-rich shortbread cookies can be made in the food processor or with a handheld mixer. Since they're baked in pans rather than free form, shaping the cookies is a snap too. Shortbread doesn't get any easier.
Prep and Cook Time: about 1 hour. Notes: Store these rich shortbread wedges airtight for up to 1 week.
Yield
Makes 24 cookies
Ingredients
1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Preparation
1. In a food processor, whirl butter, 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, and flour together until smooth. Or, in a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and cornstarch until smooth; stir in flour until mixture is no longer crumbly and starts to come together in a ball.
2. Press dough evenly into two 9-inch round pans with removable rims. Press edges of dough with fork tines to make a ridge pattern. Then, with fork tines, pierce dough all over in parallel lines 1 inch apart.
3. Bake shortbread in a 300° oven until firm to touch and golden at edges, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle while hot with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, then let cool 10 minutes.
4. Remove pan rims from warm shortbread. Cut each round into 12 wedges. Cool completely on pan bottoms on racks.
Dark Chocolate-Espresso Shortbread
Who knew that adding cocoa powder and instant coffee to shortbread dough would produce such a deep dark chocolate treat? The easy dough is shaped in a circle that's scored and cut into triangles and then dipped in white and dark chocolate.
Edges tipped with unsweetened chocolate and white chocolate enhance the coffee flavor in these cookies.
Prep: 33 min.; Cook: 23 min.
Yield
1 1/2 to 2 dozen
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder (we tested with Café Bustello)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3 ounces white chocolate baking bar (we tested with Ghirardelli)
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate baking bars
Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating well. Stir in dry ingredients; beat just until blended.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Place 2 portions on opposite ends of 1 baking sheet. Place remaining portion on second baking sheet.
Cover dough portions with plastic wrap; gently press or roll each portion of dough into a 5 1/2" circle. Lightly score each round with a sharp knife into 6 or 8 wedges.
Bake rounds at 325° for 23 minutes or until shortbread feels firm to the touch. Gently score each round again with a sharp knife. Slide parchment from baking sheets onto wire racks. Let shortbread cool completely on parchment. Cut shortbread into wedges along scored lines.
Melt chocolate baking bars separately in small bowls in the microwave according to package directions. Partially dip wide end of each shortbread wedge in unsweetened chocolate. Place on a wax paper-lined jelly-roll pan, and freeze briefly to set chocolate. Then partially dip other half of wide end of each wedge in white chocolate. Freeze briefly to set white chocolate.
Chocolate-Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread Hearts
Instead of the traditional triangle or square shape, this easy shortbread dough is rolled and cut into heart shapes and then dipped in chocolate and nuts. It also looks spectacular cut into stars or trees with edges dipped in white chocolate and rolled in nuts or sprinkles.
You can make the dough ahead, wrap it well with plastic wrap, and freeze up to four months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight before cutting and baking.
Prep: 30 minutes; Chill: 2 hours 15 minutes; Bake: 12 minutes.
Yield
Makes 2 1/2 dozen (2 1/2-inch) cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, peeled and lightly toasted, plus extra for sprinkling, if desired*
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
10 ounce dark chocolate, finely chopped
Preparation
1. Process 1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts and next 4 ingredients in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter, vanilla, and egg yolk; pulse until butter is cut in evenly and mixture starts to come together, scraping down sides of machine once or twice. (Dough will be very crumbly and may not come together fully until kneaded.)
2. Remove dough from processor, and knead lightly 2 or 3 times. Flatten into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Remove from refrigerator 10 minutes prior to rolling.
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut heart shapes with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Gather and reroll dough scraps, and cut again.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until edges turn light golden brown. Remove from oven, transfer cookies to a wire rack, and cool completely.
5. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over low heat, stirring often, or in a microwave at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool slightly. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate, and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts, if desired, and chill about 15 minutes or just until chocolate sets. Remove from refrigerator, and store in a single layer in an airtight container up to 2 days.
*To peel hazelnuts, roast at 350° for 6 to 8 minutes, and rub in a towel while warm to remove skins.
Lemon-Chamomile Shortbread
A little bit of loose tea and some freshly grated lemon zest cut the richness of traditional shortbread. Baked in a 9-inch pan, this small-batch cookie recipe is perfect for times when you crave a little shortbread but don't want to be baking all day.
Yield
Makes 18 cookies
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Grated zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon loose chamomile tea
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Preparation
Heat oven to 325° F. Combine the butter, sugar, and salt in a mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Blend in the lemon zest, loose tea, and flour until smooth. Press into an 8-inch square cake pan. Bake 30 minutes or just until the shortbread begins to turn golden. Cut into 9 squares, then cut each square into 2 triangles. Cool completely on a wire rack. Remove the shortbread cookies from the pan.
Source: Cooking Light
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