Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Cream the butter, add the sugar and beat until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract, then add the flour until just mixed. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 300. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter. Put the cookies back into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cookies are dry but not brown. (The bottoms of the cookie will be lightly browned.) Cool on rack.
Variations!
Substitute 1/2 cup light brown sugar or 1/2 cup white granulat- ed sugar for the confectioners sugar.
Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Add finely chopped zest of an orange or lemon. Especially nice at Christmas time is to use Clementine zest (about 1 tablespoon) and substitute orange extract for the vanilla extract in the recipe.
Chocolate Dipped Shortbreads (Royal Shortbreads)
Semisweet or milk chocolate can be used to dip the shortbreads, although milk chocolate, with its more subtle flavor, compliments the delicate taste of the shortbreads.
4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening.
In the top of a double boiler (can use a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan) over simmering water melt the chocolate and the shortening. Dip each cookie into the melted chocolate. Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheet and chill in refrigerator to harden the chocolate.
Frosted Shortbreads
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
Place ingredients in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir until the sugar is melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Dip shortbread or drizzle warm icing.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Cream the butter, add the sugar and beat until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract, then add the flour until just mixed. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 300. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter. Put the cookies back into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cookies are dry but not brown. (The bottoms of the cookie will be lightly browned.) Cool on rack.
Variations!
Substitute 1/2 cup light brown sugar or 1/2 cup white granulat- ed sugar for the confectioners sugar.
Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Add finely chopped zest of an orange or lemon. Especially nice at Christmas time is to use Clementine zest (about 1 tablespoon) and substitute orange extract for the vanilla extract in the recipe.
Chocolate Dipped Shortbreads (Royal Shortbreads)
Semisweet or milk chocolate can be used to dip the shortbreads, although milk chocolate, with its more subtle flavor, compliments the delicate taste of the shortbreads.
4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening.
In the top of a double boiler (can use a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan) over simmering water melt the chocolate and the shortening. Dip each cookie into the melted chocolate. Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheet and chill in refrigerator to harden the chocolate.
Frosted Shortbreads
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
Place ingredients in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir until the sugar is melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Dip shortbread or drizzle warm icing.