Basic Shortbread (Icebox) Cookies

So this holiday season, I went looking for something different to do for baked goodies.  Banana and pumpkin breads, as well as my usual cookie batches of Chocolate Chip, Chocolate White Chip and Ma's Styrofoams, would still be made, but I was looking to change things up a bit.  I found this basic shortbread recipe in an old cookbook I had sitting for years in my kitchen bookshelf.  They are also known as "icebox" or "refrigerator" cookies because the dough is chilled (in this case frozen) so that it's easier to slice up individual cookies.  Now that I've made dozens of batches of these, I quickly discovered that I reeeeeeeaaaallly like making them. They're neater than any other cookie I've ever made because once the dough is made and rolled up in plastic, there's no scooping, rolling out & cutting, etc.  You just slice, garnish and bake.  Done.  I *LOVE* that!

So here's the basic recipe I found.  There's no variation needed for high altitude (thank goodness!) but if you vary it by flavor additive, then you'll need to adjust accordingly.  See below for links to the variations I did.

(On a related note/idea...needing a standalone yolk for this cookie dough means you're left with a standalone egg white.  If you make 2 batches of these cookies, of any variation, then you can easily save those whites to make Ma's Styrofoam Cookies.  It's perfect, because then nothing's wasted!)

:)

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Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
1 C super-fine (baker's) sugar
½ tsp salt
1 lg egg yolk
1 lg whole egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 ½ C flour
Decorative sugar (optional)

Directions:
Cream butter, sugar and salt at high speed. Add yolk, beat another minute, add whole egg, beat again another minute.  Add vanilla, beat again.  Add flour, beat on low until dough has been mixed thoroughly and starts to cling to the paddle.

Remove, divide in half.  Roll half the dough into a log, about 1½ in diameter, repeat with remaining dough.

Wrap each log in plastic and place in freezer.  Freeze for at least 1 hour or until firm. (Can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.)  When logs are firm, take out 10-15 minutes ahead of time to thaw a little while oven heats up.  Preheat oven to 325°F. Slice dough into ½- to ¾-in thick pieces and place slices onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. If desired, sprinkle a little decorative sugar on top.  Bake for 19-20 minutes; do not overbake to the point where the edges start to brown or else cookies will end up hard and tough.

For variations on this basic cookie recipe, see Lemon Shortbread, Almond Shortbread, and Chocolate Shortbread versions.

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Here is the recipe for Lemon Shortbread Cookies...

(Based on the Basic Shortbread Recipe I found.)

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Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
1 C super-fine (baker's) sugar
½ tsp salt
1-2 whole lemons, depending on size
1 lg egg yolk
1 lg whole egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 ¾ C flour
Decorative sugar (optional)

Directions:
Take lemon and using a zester or small-holed grater, zest lemon peel. (Be careful to only obtain the colored part of the peel, do not go into the white part of the lemon's skin.) Peel should yield about 2 tsps of zest.  (If your grater does not yield that much, you may need to zest a second lemon in order to make up the difference.)

Cut lemon in half, and using a strainer to catch the seeds, squeeze lemon halves for the juice.  Should yield about 2-3 tablespoons.  Cream butter, sugar, salt, and zest at high speed. Add yolk, beat another minute, add whole egg, beat again another minute.  Add vanilla and lemon juice, beat again.  Add flour, beat on low until dough has been mixed thoroughly and starts to cling to the paddle.  Remove, divide in half.  Roll half the dough into a log, about 1½ in diameter, repeat with remaining dough.  Wrap each log in plastic and place in freezer.  Freeze for at least 1 hour or until firm. (Can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.)

When logs are firm, take out 10-15 minutes ahead of time to thaw a little while oven heats up.  Preheat oven to 325°F. Slice dough into ½- to ¾-in thick pieces and place slices onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.

If desired, sprinkle a little yellow decorative sugar on top.

Bake for 19-20 minutes; do not overbake to the point where the edges start to brown or else cookies will end up hard and tough.

Yields approximately 40-50 cookies, depending on thickness of slices.

For other variations on the basic cookie recipe, see also the Chocolate Shortbread and Almond Shortbread versions.


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GBAdams
12/17/2011

Almond Shortbread Cookies

Here is my recipe for Almond Shortbread Cookies.  I started with the recipe for Lemon Shortbread, and then modified it for almonds...

(Based on the Basic Shortbread Recipe I found.)

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Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
1 C super-fine (baker's) sugar
½ tsp salt
1 lg egg yolk
1 lg whole egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp almond extract
2 ½ C flour
Sliced almonds for garnish

Directions:
Cream butter, sugar and salt at high speed. Add yolk, beat another minute, add whole egg, beat again another minute.  Add vanilla and almond extract; beat again.  Add flour, beat on low until dough has been mixed thoroughly and starts to cling to the paddle.  Remove, divide in half.  Roll half the dough into a log, about 1½ in diameter, repeat with remaining dough.  Wrap each log in plastic and place in freezer.  Freeze for at least 1 hour or until firm. (Can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.)

When logs are firm, take out 10-15 minutes ahead of time to thaw a little while oven heats up.  Preheat oven to 325°F. Slice dough into ½- to ¾-in thick pieces and place slices onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Press a sliced almond on top of each cookie for garnish, if desired.

Bake for 19-20 minutes; do not overbake to the point where the edges start to brown or else cookies will end up hard and tough.

Yields approximately 40-50 cookies, depending on thickness of slices.

For other variations on the basic cookie recipe, see also the Lemon Shortbread and Chocolate Shortbread versions.

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GBAdams
12/20/2011

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Here are Chocolate Shortbread Cookies...

(Based on the Basic Shortbread Recipe I found.)

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Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
1 C super-fine (baker's) sugar
1 tsp salt
1 lg egg yolk
1 lg whole egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp water
2 ½ C flour
½ C unsweetened cocoa powder
Decorative sugar

Directions:
Combine flour with cocoa powder and mix thoroughly; set aside. Cream butter, sugar and salt at high speed. Add yolk, beat another minute, add whole egg, beat again another minute.  Add vanilla and water and beat again.  Add flour mixture, beat on low until dough has been mixed thoroughly and starts to cling to the paddle.  Remove, divide in half.  Roll half the dough into a log, about 1½ in diameter, repeat with remaining dough.  Wrap each log in plastic and place in freezer.  Freeze for at least 1 hour or until firm. (Can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.)

When logs are firm, take out 10-15 minutes ahead of time to thaw a little while oven heats up.  Preheat oven to 325°F. Slice dough into ½- to ¾-in thick pieces and place slices onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. If desired, sprinkle a little decorative sugar on top.

Bake for 20-21 minutes; do not overbake to the point where the edges start to brown or else cookies will end up hard and tough.

Yields approximately 40-50 cookies, depending on thickness of slices.

For other variations on the basic cookie recipe, see also the Lemon Shortbread and Almond Shortbread versions.

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GBAdams
12/27/2011

Ma's Styrofoam Cookies

My mother-in-law has been generous over the years on many fronts, but particularly in the kitchen.  She has totally helped to round out my cooking education -- she taught me how to properly cook a turkey for Thanksgiving, how to make pumpkin pie WITH homemade crusts (although nowadays I cheat a little and use the pre-made crusts because I have no patience, LOL), how to make pot roast, etc.  One of the most delightful culinary things she has taught me is how to make these delicate, delicious cookies.  She only made them once a year, around Christmas, and they were coveted by everyone in the family, so most people only got to taste a few from her batch.  Then we moved to Colorado, and though she gave me the recipe before we left, it took me years to perfect them due to the high altitude.  (Much to my husband's chagrin, as he really started to miss these during the Christmas season.)  In doing so, I stumbled onto another culinary tool/ingredient that was previously unknown to me: Cream of Tartar.  I think my mom had some in her spice cabinet, but it never got used, so I had no idea what it was for.  But now I do.  ;)

If you've never worked with Cream of Tartar, know that it is a sour, white powder, used for stabilizing whipped, beaten egg whites (meringue).  I'm sure there's probably other uses for it, but that's all I know about its usefulness.  Just a note about these cookies: Due to the fact that they're meringue, these cookies don't do well in humid environments.  They're ideal for Colorado, since it's sooooo dry up here, but I imagine that if you made these cookies anywhere else with relatively high humidity, they wouldn't last very long (eat them all the same day!), and/or they might not turn out very well. 

One last thing - because there is no flour of any kind in this recipe, it is ideal for those who are looking for a gluten-free treat.  As long as you're not allergic to nuts...  ;)

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This is enough ingredients for a batch & a half.

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
½ tsp Cream of Tartar
½ C sugar
½ C pecan pieces
1 tsp vanilla






Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 250°F. Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed.  When they have become frothy, add Cream of Tartar.  Continue to beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks. 

Add ⅔ of the sugar, beat at least 3 mins longer, or until the whites start to have a shiny, velvety look.  Add rest of the sugar, then the vanilla.  Continue to beat until sugar and vanilla are fully incorporated. 

Remove from mixer and fold in pecan pieces.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets and bake @ 250°F for 50 minutes. 

To see if they're done, pull cookie sheet out most of the way to lift paper to see if it's looking brown, not real white.  If they're really done, they should come off paper easily.



What the finished cookie looks like on the inside. ;)

Store in an airtight container, away from moisture. Makes approximately 36 cookies.

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GBAdams
12/21/2006