Cherry-Topped Whipped Shortbread
Granny, my mother's grandmother, made cherry-topped shortbread cookies at Christmas. I remember her bringing a plate of them to our house in the 1960's.
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- red glace cherries, halved
Cream butter until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Beat in flour, sugar, vanilla, salt.
Mix until dough is well-blended and smooth.
Shape into 34 inch balls.
Place on ungreased baking sheets.
Flatten slightly with floured fork.
Press cherry piece into centre of each.
Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven 10-14 minutes or until edges are slightly golden.
Cool on racks.
Scottish Squares
Makes 2 dozen cookies.
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup rice flour (or see chocolate variation below)
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
Preheat oven to 300F.
Line a 9x13 inch non-stick metal pan with parchment, with overhanging edges.
Combine flour, icing sugar, rice flour, salt.
Add cubed butter, combine till dough just comes together, is still crumbly.
Press dough over bottom of parchment-lined pan. Smooth top.
Score surface into 24 squares.
Prick dough all over with fork.
Bake in centre of oven till just golden, 25-30 min.
Cut shortbread into squares while still hot.
Remove parchment and place on cooling rack.
Keeps in airtight container at room temperature several weeks.
Variations
Chocolate Chunk: Push a piece of good milk chocolate into each scored square before baking.
Chocolate: Substitute 3 Tbsp cocoa powder AND 3 Tbsp rice flour for the 1/3 cup rice flour.
Lemon: Stir 1 Tbsp lemon zest into flour mixture. After baking, cool, then whisk 3/4 cup sifted icing sugar with 3 Tbsp lemon juice till smooth and lightly brush over cooled cookies, over a cooling rack. Excess icing drips through the rack (put something below). Let stand 1 hour or till dry.
Shortbread Rectangles, Rounds or Wedges
A Christmas 2014 recipe from Canadian Living magazine food specialist Irene Fong.
Makes 24 crisp, buttery cookies with a buttery pale colour.
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp granulated white sugar
In stand mixer with paddle attachment or a bowl with a wooden spoon, beat together butter, icing sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy.
Stir in flour just until combined.
Make Ahead: Store dough in airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.
Rectangles:
Press dough into parchment paper-lined 9-inch (2.5 L) square cake pan.
Using palm of hand, flatten to make surface smooth and even.
Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Using knife, score surface of dough into 24 rectangles.
Prick each cookie several times with a fork.
Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Bake in preheated 300 degree F oven until firm and pale golden, about 55 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes; cut through score lines.
Let cool completely in pan.
Rounds:
On lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/3 inch (8 mm) thickness.
Using 2-inch (5 cm) round cookie cutter, cut out shapes.
Arrange, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) oven until firm and pale golden, about 20 minutes.
Wedges:
Press dough into parchment paper-lined 8-inch (1.2L round cake pan.
Using palm of hand, flatten to make surface smooth and even.
Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Using knife, score surface of dough into 16 wedges.
Continue as above.
Phipps' Chocolate Chunk Shortbread
Phipps is a Toronto bakery and cafe.
This recipe makes about 72 cookies.
It was printed in the Toronto Star back when Marion Kane was the food editor. On the back of the recipe clipping is an ad for the long-gone Knob Hill Farms grocery store.
- 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups butter, softened
- 1 cup instant dissolving (fruit/berry) sugar
- 8 oz good quality milk chocolate, cut in chunks
Spread 1-1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour on a baking sheet.
Place under the broiler 4 to 5 inches from heat.
With oven door open, roast flour about 7 minutes or until medium brown, turning flour with a spatula every minute.
Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
In bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
Sift together rice flour, roasted flour and remaining all-purpose flour.
Stir vigorously into butter mixture until blended.
Refrigerate 1 hour.
Stir in chocolate chunks.
Roll dough into 1-1/4 inch balls.
Place on baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
Flatten slightly.
Bake in 275 degree F oven until light golden, about 50 minutes.
Let cool on baking sheet on rack.
My note: Browning the flour under the broiler, turning every minute, was awkward, the flour didn't brown evenly, and the broiler was hot! Next time I'll try roasting the flour (at 350 degrees) or whisking the flour in a pan over medium-high heat on the stove (this is supposed to take about 6-7 minutes).
Toasting the flour is supposed to make the cookie dough safe to eat raw, but since not all the flour in this recipe is toasted, no eating the cookies till baked.
Cookie Cutter Shortbread
- 1 lb. butter, softened
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1/4 tsp real vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Cream butter in mixer 5 minutes.
Add icing sugar and vanilla, mix 5 minutes.
Mix in flour 1 cup at a time.
Wrap dough and chill 1 hour or more.
Divide into 3 portions.
Gently roll out 1 portion at a time on parchment paper or a well-floured board.
Cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
Roll out scraps with next portion of dough.
Place on greased cookie sheets or parchment on cookie sheets and bake in preheated 325 degree oven until lightly browned.
Time will depend on thinness of cookies.
Crisp Shortbread Cut-Outs
From a 2014 issue of Chatelaine magazine.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1-1/2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cups granulated white sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Position racks in top and bottom thirds of oven.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Stir flour with salt in a medium bowl.
Beat butter with sugar in a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, until smooth, 1 minute.
Gradually stir in half of flour mixture, until just combined.
Add remaining flour mixture, kneading with your hands until dough forms a ball.
Roll out dough on a floured counter until 1/4 inch thick.
Cut out cookies with various shapes of cookie cutters.
Arrange on prepared sheets 2 inches apart. Cookies spread as they bake.
Bake in preheated oven until edges are lightly golden.
