Rich Shortbread Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Knead dough until smooth, about 6-10 times. Pat dough into an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Pierce with a fork. , Bake until lightly browned, 25-30 minutes. Cut into squares while warm. Cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Mix the flour and sugar together in a large bowl, and then rub in the butter - as if you were making shortcrust pastry. Use the tips of your fingers and ensure that all the butter has been rubbed in -- it should resemble sand!
• Then start to knead the paste, pushing it together to form a smooth dough - the heat of your hands whilst kneading helps it form.
• Petticoat Tails:.
• Divide the shorbread dough into two equal parts and shape them into balls, then flatten them out into two rounds - using the heel of your hand, to about 7" in diameter and 1/4" thick.
• Mark the top into equal portions - triangular in shape, and then prick the tops all over with a fork - making patterns if you wish! Crimp the edges as you would a pie crust to make a decorative edge and place them onto a well greased baking tray or cookie sheet.
• (You can also use a greased and lined 7" or 8" fluted edged round sandwich/cake tin - preferably with a loose bottom for ease of taking the shortbread out. Press the dough into the tin and mark out as above).
• Shortbread fingers:.
• Roll out the shortbread dough, and shape into a rectangle, about 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Place onto a well greased baking tray or cookie sheet as before, and mark into "fingers" -- prick over with a fork again. You can also press the dough into an 8" square baking/sandwich/brownie tin - and then mark out the fingers as above.
• (Please Note: The fingers are always thicker than the petticoat tails and shortbread rounds).
• Shortbread Rounds:.
• Roll out the shortbread dough and using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut into rounds of about 2" to 3" in diameter, about 1/4" in thickness. Place them on a well greased baking tray or cookie sheet.
• Wooden Shortbread Mould:.
• You can also place the dough into a decorative wooden shortbread mould, before turning it out on to a greased baking tray. Traditional Scottish wooden moulds can be bought online and usually have a Thistle design with heavily fluted edges.
• Bake the any of the above shortbread biscuits in a pre-heated oven 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for between 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are pale and golden - but NOT brown!
• Sprinkle extra caster sugar over the top as soon as they come out of the oven if you wish.
• Allow the shorbread bicuits to cool slightly on a cooling rack, before cutting into fingers or "petticoat tails".
• Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight tin or container. NB: These will last for about 10 to 14 days in a cool, dry and dark pantry. They can also be frozen with great results!

Steps:

• Sift together corn starch, icing sugar and flour.
• With wooden spoon (or by hand as I do it), blend in butter until soft, smooth dough forms.
• Shape into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls.
• Place 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) apart on an ungreased cookie sheet, flatten with lightly floured fork.
• Alternatively, roll dough to 1/4 inch (6 mm); cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
• Decorate with candied cherries, colored sprinkles or nuts if desired.
• Bake in 300 Fahrenheit oven for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Tips:.
• Do not substitute anything for the butter otherwise it's not a genuine shortbread cookie. ETA: Sadielady reminded that I forgot to mention the type of butter. Please forgive the D'oh moment. Please use unsalted butter. I never ever add salt. Any added salt in baked goods is not pleasing to my palate and too much salt is unhealthy but you may want to add a bit.
• You can "nuke" aka microwave the butter to soften it rather than letting it sit out. It saves time and won't alter the taste. Just make sure you don't melt it.
• If dough is too soft to handle then cover and chill for 30-60 minutes (15 minutes worked for me).
• To make Crescents:.
• Add 1/2 cup (125 ml) ground almonds or hazelnuts to flour mixture.
• Shape into logs about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick and 3 inches (7 cm) long.
• Twist into crescent shapes.
• When baked and cool, dip ends in melted chocolate.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour and mix well until combined.
• Fill cookie press with the dough and form cookies onto two ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are just starting to turn golden brown.
• Remove the cookie sheets from the oven, and set them on a wire cooling rack for 2 minutes. Then transfer the shortbread cookies to the rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• Work all the ingredients together with your hands until blended. Shape all of the dough into 1 inch balls.
• Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 20 minutes.
• Let cool 10 minutes then carefully lift with spatula to cake racks to cool. Store in air tight container with wax paper between layers. Cookies keep well.
• Variations: Flatten some balls with tines of fork and press 1/4 of a red or green glace cherry in center of each. Make thumbprint indentation in some balls and fill with a tiny bit of jam, jelly or marmalade. Dip some balls in slightly beaten egg white and roll in finely chopped walnuts. Bake as they are or make an indentation in top and spoon in a little jam or marmalade. Dip some balls in egg white and roll in desiccated coconut. Bake as they are or make an indentation and spoon in a little jam, jelly or marmalade.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square pan.
• Sift flour into a bowl. Rub in butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Mix in brown sugar and shape dough into a ball.
• Press dough into the prepared pan. Prick all over with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, combine condensed milk, butter, and brown sugar in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until caramel comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Pour caramel over cooled crust and refrigerate until firm to the touch, about 1 hour.
• Place chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes.
• Spread melted chocolate over cooled caramel. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens, about 15 minutes. Cut into bars.

Steps:

• Sift the icing sugar --
• Cream the icing sugar and the butter until smooth.
• Gradually add the flour mixing thoroughly after each addition.
• Pat into a 13 x 9 inch pan.
• Bake at 325 degree oven for 20 minutes.
• Cool and cut into small squares.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 4. Line a 20cm x 30 cm tin with baking parchment. Rub the flour and butter together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs then stir in the sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt.
• Tip the mixture into the prepared tin in an even layer, then press the mixture down firmly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 45-50 mins or until light golden brown. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
• For the caramel, put the butter, condensed milk, sugar and syrup in a pan with a pinch of salt. Heat gently until simmering, then whisk for 6 mins until thick and fudgy. Be careful as the caramel will be very hot. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then pour the caramel over the cooled shortbread. Leave to cool completely.
• Stir the dark chocolate and the butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water until melted (alternatively heat in the microwave, stirring after every 30 sec blast to make sure it doesn't burn). Once melted and glossy pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel. To decorate, go to the next step, or leave to cool completely then cut into squares or triangles.
• For extra flourish, put melted white chocolate into a piping bag and pipe straight lines over the full length of the shortbread after applying the dark chocolate layer. Turn the tray 90° and drag a skewer through it in long strokes up and down the rows to create a feathered design. Gently shake the tin to settle the chocolate then leave to set completely. Cut into squares or triangles.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Whip butter, stir in cornstarch, flour, and sugar.
• Beat low for 1 minute, then on high for 3-4 minutes.
• Then I just squish is all together into a ball with my hands!
• Roll 2 inch pieces into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Flatten slightly with fork.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes but do not bake until browned.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour. Press dough into an ungreased 9-in. square baking pan. Prick with a fork., Bake until light brown, 30-35 minutes. Cut into squares while warm. Cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C.)
• Combine butter or margarine, flour and confectioner's sugar and beat for 10 minutes.
• Drop from teaspoon onto cookie sheet. Decorate with maraschino cherry pieces.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned.