Shortbread – THE Perfect Holiday Cookies!
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by Sheri Silver[/x_text][/x_column][x_column bg_color=”” type=”3/4″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_text]
Have you ever noticed that, every year around the holidays, there is a deluge of baking recipes promising countless cookies from just one dough?
“One Dough, Endless Variations!”
“So Many Cookies From Just One Dough!”
“One Basic Dough Recipe, Endless Christmas Cookies!”
So tempting, right? But what I’ve found is that – to make a master dough that will hold up to these “endless” variations – you will typically wind up with a rather ordinary, often tough, mostly bland, cookie. A cookie that, yes, you can dress up with chocolate, jams and icing, but one you probably wouldn’t want to eat more than one of.
Shortbread cookies are a dream for both beginner and advanced bakers alike – the dough comes together quickly and easily and is the perfect “base” for countless add-ins…
In thinking about this article – and how to TRULY streamline the holiday baking process without sacrificing a bit of flavor – I realized that the answer is shortbread.
“Short”, in baking terms, refers to a high percentage of fat in the dough. This results in cookies and crusts that are unusually tender – and that hold up to mixing and shaping without getting tough.
Shortbread cookies are a dream for both beginner and advanced bakers alike – the dough comes together quickly and easily and is the perfect “base” for countless add-ins – three of which I’m sharing with you today!
Even better? There’s no rolling/cutting/dropping/shaping involved. Simply form the dough into a cylinder, freeze till firm, and slice-and-bake whenever you like. For me, this is the best reason to make shortbread for the holidays, as I can get a jump on my baking well in advance.
So clear some time one weekend afternoon, gather all of your ingredients and – in one marathon session – you can have the lion’s share of your holiday cookies safely ensconced in your freezer!
- 1/2 lb.(16 T.) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 c. sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/2 c. flour
- 1/2 c. cornstarch
- 1/2 t. salt
- Beat butter and sugar on low speed for one minute. Add egg yolk and beat to combine, followed by flour, cornstarch and salt. Do not overbeat.
- Transfer dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Form into a rough cylinder, and roll into a log (approximately 1”-2” diameter by approximately 12”-14” long). Wrap and freeze till ready to use.
- Pre-heat oven to 275. Cut logs into ¼” slices and bake till just firm but still tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- *Olive Oil-Rosemary – reduce butter to 12 T. and add ¼ c. olive oil. Add 1 t. finely minced fresh rosemary along with the dry ingredients.
- *Toasted Coconut-Lime – Toast ½ c. shredded unsweetened coconut in a 325 degree oven till golden brown (5-10 minutes). Let cool. Add 2 T. lime zest with the egg yolk; add coconut along with dry ingredients.
- *Chocolate-Espresso – Melt 1 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate – cool slightly. Beat into butter and sugar before adding the egg yolk. Add 1 T. instant coffee or espresso powder along with the dry ingredients.
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I love shortbread at any time of the year.
This is a fantastic idea having shortbread recipe post complete with all the different variations, so easy, yet you thought of it!
Many thanks for this brilliant post & recipe that I will be making up a batch today.
So very clever of you, many thanks for sharing, much appreciated, pinned & shared.
Thank you,
Odelle Smith. (U.K.)