Basic Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies have been my first baking love. They have been the primary cookie I keep in mind placing within the oven myself, all the time for the vacations, all the time carrying a kid-sized apron. I’ve developed some sturdy opinions on the shortbread entrance over time, and I’m going to speak you thru the distinction between nice shortbread cookies and those which can be simply so-so. Shortbread cookies could be the most effective cookie on any cookie tray (controversial take, I do know!), and this publish will stroll you thru how. I’ve featured shortbread many various methods on the location over time, however love circling again to this buttery, golden, traditional shortbread model.

The Secret to Nice Shortbread Cookies

I ought to say secrets and techniques, plural, as a result of there are literally a couple of that may assist bump your shortbread sport from good to nice.

• Salt: Let’s begin with this, it’s a simple one. Quite a lot of shortbread cookie recipes are below salted, and that may go away them tasting flat and boring. Others name for salted butter which could be nice, nevertheless it’s more durable to manage seasoning ranges. I’m not saying go wild on the salt entrance, however deal with it like a pillar ingredient. It’s the ingredient that may deliver the toasted butter, sugar, and flour into excellent focus. 
• Thickness: For traditional shortbread cookies like these, I prefer to go thick. I’ve discovered that rolling out the dough to 1/2-inch thickness is simply too skinny, and a full-inch is simply too thick. I purpose for someplace within the 3/4-inch zone. This enables for golden crust with crisp buttery edge and a young middle.
  
• Baking Time: I’ve offered steering within the recipe for baking time, however in actuality it’s all about having an eagle eye and good nostril right here. Use your sight and odor. Quite a lot of the shortbread I’ve come throughout over time is simply too pale, almost white. That’s not what I’m after. Shortbread that’s allowed to get tip prime super-golden and toasted the place it touches the baking pan, with a wash of shade over the remainder of the cookie is so significantly better. That’s how all the flavour involves life. It’s actually the distinction between butter and brown butter. Persistence and attentiveness pays off right here. Hover close to the oven, let your shortbread get toasty.

Elements in Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread magic occurs when butter, sugar, flour, and salt come collectively. The record of substances is extremely quick, so that you wish to make sure that every one is on level. Be certain your butter is good-quality, and lately bought. You don’t need the butter selecting up fridge odors. When doubtful, style. I additionally like to make use of a recent bag of all objective flour when baking shortbread, some flours can choose up off smells and flavors after they’ve been sitting round too lengthy. I am additionally a purist relating to shortbread and skip the vanilla extract you would possibly see in different recipes.

Make-Forward Shortbread Cookies

The freezer is your good friend right here and shortbread dough saved in an hermetic container or double wrapped in plastic can final frozen for months. You may freeze the cookie dough pre-rollout or proceed by means of the cutout part. When you’ve rolled and reduce your dough, switch the unbaked cookies onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze earlier than transferring to an air-tight container. Freeze till able to bake.

Thick or Skinny?

We talked a bit about this up above, however I’ve a couple of different issues to say. Relating to traditional shortbread cookies, I lean in direction of thick. However, if I’ve loaded the dough up with zest, nuts, spices, or different flavors, I have a tendency to make use of a rolling pin to roll the dough out a bit extra thinly, chopping the cookies smaller for a extra concentrated expertise. All of that is private desire, after all. One factor to consider right here is oven temperature. For thicker shortbread, beginning with a barely hotter oven to set the dough, after which dialing it again a bit may also help stop unfold. And with smaller, thinner shortbread you don’t have to fret about that as a lot. When doubtful, simply regulate issues!

How do I preserve my Shortbread from Spreading?

If you happen to have a look at the images above  you’ll be able to see the distinction between correctly chilled shortbread dough previous to baking (circles), and dough that wasn’t chilled lengthy sufficient (rectangles). The circles had their form completely whereas the bigger rectangular slabs had a little bit of unfold. One other hour within the fridge or baking straight from the freezer will doubtless repair that. If you happen to’re nonetheless getting an excessive amount of unfold, scale back the time you’re creaming the butter and sugars, an excessive amount of air being included into the dough may trigger your cookies to unfold. Final, affirm your oven temperature is appropriate, whether it is working low, you’re going to have hassle.

Different Shortbread Cookie Concepts

After you have a shortbread recipe you like in your again pocket (hopefully this one!), you’ll be able to mess around with many variables. They’re nice for Christmas and past.

• Skillet Shortbread: bake straight right into a forged iron skillet or press the dough right into a pan, marking with fork tines, then bake. In both case, mark the highest of the dough with fork tines, to make sure extra even baking.
• Strive Various Flours: If you wish to introduce different flours to this recipe go for it. I’d begin with 20% and make notice from there. Rye flour is all the time an ideal start line, oat flour is perhaps good, or buckwheat flour. I’m additionally interested in introducing a share of one thing like almond flour however haven’t experimented with that but. All would add dimension and depth.
• Sugar Crust: Lots of people like it whenever you sprinkle large-grain sugar throughout the shortbread dough earlier than baking. You find yourself with a crunchy sugar crust and a few sparkle.

Extra Shortbread!

I’ve baked and highlighted many shortbread cookies over years and discovered loads. The Rosewater Shortbread Cookies and Toasted Almond Sables are my favorites within the beyond-classic class, however all of them are particular in a technique or one other.

Center Jap Millionaire’s Shortbread: That is the Center Jap Millionaire’s Shortbread from Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh’s Candy. It is unbelievable for quite a lot of causes. Think about a crisp, shortbread base unfold thick with a creamy tahini-halva mix, completed with shiny tahini caramel. It is sensible, and a skinny slice makes for the right deal with.

Rosewater Shortbread Cookies: Considered one of my favorites. Basic, buttery, entire wheat shortbread cookies aromatic with rosewater, flecked with toasted nuts, and dried rose petals. They’ve a crunchy dusting of sugar on prime that gives a satisfying, candy tongue scratch, and are punctuated with black sesame. They’re the prettiest of the shortbread lot.

Toasted Almond Sable Cookies // Toasty, nutty sable cookies made with entire wheat flour, sliced almonds, currents and salted butter. They’re a take-off on Alice Medrich’s charming Entire Wheat Sables, revealed in her e book Pure Dessert.

There’s additionally Apple & Carrot Shortbread, Hearst Fortress Shortbread Cookies, Pine Nut Rosemary Shortbread Cookies, and Olive Biscuit Cookies. After which, past that, listed here are all the cookie recipes and baking recipes. Completely satisfied baking everybody!

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