Monday, June 28, 2010

Recipes

I got an email from a reader asking me about a couple of recipes for shortbread after she saw some of the cookies I make. I told her that Martha Stweart's cookies are usually foolproof and taste delicious. 

Unsalted butter
Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

Makes 12 to 14 large cookies.
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 Confectioner's Sugar

Directions

  1. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Wisk together flour and salt. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until pale and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of bowl, about 2 minutes more. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed, scraping sides if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.
  2. Turn out dough, forming into 2 disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
  3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out 1 disk to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes using desired cookie cutter, and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Reroll scraps. Repeat with remaining disk. Indent cookies with desired stamps. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. Bake until firm and golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. (Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 month.)

 
Cookies ready to go into the oven

 If you make them remember that the best baking sheets are the ones that don't have walls because they don't keep the heat in. Also, remember to use a fun cookie cutter so they can make a nice gift for someone


Have a great day and enjoy the sweetness!

12 comments:

  1. Super yum...! I may have to bake a batch of these sometime this week. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. mmmm I love cookies thanks so much for sharing!
    xo

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  3. That darn Martha does everything right doesn't she? My Scottish husband loves his shortbread & Iwill definitely try Martha's recipe. Thank you!

    Have a great week ahead ~ deb

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  4. I love shortbread cookies! So good with some coffee or tea :)

    Happy Monday!

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  5. These look great and seem so easy! I'm going to have to try it out!

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  6. Okay, because YOU say they're good, I'm going to try a Martha recipe again. I've always had little to no success with her recipes -- and I consider myself a baker too! But both times have resulted in complete disasters. Let's see how these turn out.

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  7. Now I could do this :) Sounds amazing right about now!! xo

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  8. i want to make a batch, but it's much too hot to think about using the oven... i'll have to save this in the ideas folder for a day that's not sweltering. xx

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  9. Here's the thing- how do you make your cookies not go flat on one side when you refrigerate the dough? It's always the hardest part for me.

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  10. The name of your blog and the header is very cute. What a creative idea.

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