from Rose's
Christmas Cookies, William Morrow, 1990
Adapted by StarChefs
Yield: 4 dozen 1 1/2-inch cookies or 16 3 1/2-inch wedges
If there could be but one cookie in all the world, this would be it
for me, perhaps because there really is perfection in simplicity. Its
buttery flavor and tender texture with just the right amount of bite
are perfection. In order to avoid temptation, I like to store these
cookies in the freezer and take out just one to put in the oven with
the pilot light while brewing my afternoon coffee. By the time the cup
is brewed, the cookie is no longer cold--just right. Traditionally,
shortbread was baked in round discs with notches radiating around the
edges to represent the sun. But shortbread can be as creative as the
person who makes it. My favorite shortbread press comes from my good
friend, the brilliant cook and food columnist Bonnie Stern of the Bonnie
Stern School of Cooking in Toronto. My editor, Maria Guarnaschelli,
took one look at the cookies produced with this press and dubbed them
"cathedral cookies."
- 1 1/4
cups (10 oz) unsalted cold butter
- 1/4
cup (1 oz) lightly spooned powdered sugar
- 1/4
cup (1.75 oz) granulated sugar
- 2 1/2
cups (12.5 oz) bleached all-purpose flour (dip and sweep method)
Equipment:
ungreased cookie sheets
Food Processor Method:
Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes, wrap it, and refrigerate. In
a food processor with the metal blade, process the sugars for 1 minute
or so, until the sugar is very fine. Add the butter and pulse until
the sugar disappears. Add the flour and pulse until there are a lot
of moist, crumbly little pieces and no dry flour particles remain. Dump
the mixture into a plastic bag and press it together. Remove the dough
from the plastic bag and knead it lightly until it holds together.
Electric
Mixer or by Hand:
In Scotland it is said that the best shortbread is mixed with the fingers
and that each woman's fingers lend something distinctive and special
to the finished cookie. I find that the texture is more delicate when
the dough is mixed with the fingers rather than in a machine. For either
method, use superfine granulated sugar for the best texture and be sure
to soften the butter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars. In
a large bowl, creamy he butter with the sugars until light and fluffy.
With you fingers or with the electric mixer, mix in the flour until
the mixture holds together. If using the mixer, add the flour in 2 parts.
For
Both Methods:
Place 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat
oven to 275 F. Measure 2 level teaspoons or 1 scant tablespoon of the
dough and knead each piece by flattening it between your palms and then
rolling it into a 10-inch ball. (This keeps it from cracking around
the edges when pressed flat.) Place each ball on the cookie sheet, flattening
it with a cookie press, fork, or the bottom of a tumbler, lightly moistened
with water. Leave about 1 inch between flattened cookies. Bake for 45
minutes to 1 hour or until pale golden (do not brown). For even baking,
rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and from to back halfway
through the baking period. Use a small, angled metal spatula or pancake
turner to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Wedge-Shaped
Shortbread:
Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Pat each half into an ungreased
8-inch round cake pan. Use the tines of a fork to press 3/4-inch lines
radiating like rays os sun all aground the perimeter of the dough. Prick
the rest of the dough all over with the tines of the fork. this keeps
the shortbread even and creates the traditional design. Bake for 60
to 70 minutes or until pale golden (do not brown). For even baking,
rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through
the baking period. Cool in the pans, on a wire rack, for 10 minutes.
Invert the shortbread onto flat cookie sheet and slide it onto a cutting
board. While still warm, use a long sharp knife to cut each 8-inch round
of shortbread into 8 pie-shaped wedges. Transfer the wedges to wire
racks to cool completely.
Store:
In an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.
Keeps: Several months.
Smart Cookie:
For the granulated sugar use superfine for the best texture. In Scotland,
part rice flour (1/6 the total volume of flour) is used in making the
shortbread. It results in a crisper texture. I prefer shortbread made
with all-purpose flour. If you use rice flour, be sure it is fresh,
and store the leftover flour in the refrigerator as it can become rancid.
In Canada, the sugar in the shortbread is sometimes replaced with an
equal eight or 6 tablespoons of firmly packed light brown sugar for
a "richer" cookie. Shortbread dough can be pressed into lightly oiled
and floured decorative wooden molds and then inverted onto cookie sheets
to bake; however, I find that large discs of shortbread have the best
texture when shaped and baked in aluminum caked pans. Perhaps it's because
the sides of the pan keep the dough from spreading and the resulting
shortbread is somewhat more compact. Allow the cookie sheet(s) to cool
completely before using for the next batch. Distribute the cookies evenly
around cookie evenly around the cookie sheet. Avoid crowding the cookies
into one section of the cookie sheet, leavening a large area bare.
