I know what you're thinking. Wow!! Not one, not two, but THREE different shortbreads showcased in one blog post. Yes, my awed audience. It's true. Because I am just that good. Ha ha ha. In reality, that couldn't be further from the truth. Reality is that I needed a contingency plan of different options in case my attempts at making basic shortbread didn't pan out.
After a horrifyingly unsuccessful attempt at baking some a few weeks ago, I've been having nightmares about "Shortbread Saturday". In fact, I've been so stressed about it as of late that I've been waking with an upset stomach too. Okay, yes, it is possible that my stomach woes are from the peppermint bark. The pecan tartlets. The surprise cookies. The millionaire shortbread. Maybe the pecan-rolo-pretzel turtles or the chinese chews. Perhaps even the coconut sandwich cookies or the popcorn brittle. I could be in denial. But it is possible that my gastronomic grief could be due to the stress of turning out some succulent shortbread, no?
My original intent for today was to just make a batch of classic shortbread. Simple and unassuming, it doesn't require sprinkles, red hots, jams, jellies or frostings to taste good. It just does, in all of it's buttery, flaky goodness. But, as mentioned earlier, I've had some challenges with the traditional variety. So I decided to first try my hand at Coconut Shortbread, which proved both easy on technique and pleasing to the palate. Score! Shortbread: 0. Me: 1.
Fresh off my victory with it's coconut cousin, I moved forward and tried my hand at Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread. Although the technique for this recipe was slightly different, it too, was easy to make. Putting the dough in a resealable bag and rolling it prior to refrigerating is a stroke of sheer genius. I only tasted a wee little piece, but I'd venture to say that this recipe has potential. Especially if it was dipped partially in chocolate. For those of you keeping score...Shortbread: 0. Me: 2.
With a mix of excitement and trepidation, I moved on to Challenger #3, Classic Shortbread. Sometimes, it seems, the most unassuming of things can be the most intimidating. Such was the case with this. At times I found myself with sweaty palms, holding the rolling pin in a death grip of anxiety. But, I had received a great deal of coaching, and a tried and true family recipe, along with assurances that numerous friends and family had made this shortbread time and time again with success. So I had the benefit of both good genes and a good recipe in my favor. Right? Right! The dough was easy to mix, and equally easy to roll and cut. It didn't spread while baking. And it came out golden and perfect (except for the tray that I left in a little too long while writing this post. Oops.).
Final score? Shortbread: 0. Me: 3. Woo woo! I'm the WINNAH!! And how does it feel, you ask, when the "agony of defeat" is replaced by the "thrill of victory"? In one word, it's SWEET!!
Coconut Shortbread
Makes 2 dozen
(Note: If you cut this as directed, the wedges are huge and no mere mortal could eat a whole one by themself without getting a stomach ache. So you may want to cut this in smaller pieces...)
4 cups flaked coconut
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels, melted (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat first six ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until dry ingredients are moistened. Press dough evenly into 2 lightly greased 9-inch tart pans or cakepans.
Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes (or until cool enough to cut without burning your fingers!). Cut each shortbread into 12 wedges. Place wedges on a large ungreased baking sheet; bake 5 more minutes or until crisp. Remove to wire racks to cool. Trim coconut from edges of shortbread; drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired.
To make ahead: Place baked and cooled shortbread wedges between layers of wax paper in an airtight container, and freeze up to one month, if desired. Bring to room temperature and drizzle with melted chocolate before serving.
Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Makes 32 cookies
www.smittenkitchen.com
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.
2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.
3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.
4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.
7. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.
(Classic) Shortbread
Make about 2 dozen triangles
Time-Life Foods of the World Recipes: The Cooking of the British Isles (1969)
1 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
5 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring
Preheat the oven to 350°. Using a pastry brush, coat a large baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the softened butter. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat the 1 pound of butter and the cup of sugar together at high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then reduce the speed to medium and beat in the flour, a cup at a time; continue beating until the mixture is smooth. (To make the dough by hand, cream the 1
pound of butter and the sugar together by beating and mashing them against the sides of a mixing bowl with a large spoon until the mixture becomes fluffy. Add the flour, a cup at a time, beating well after each addition. If the dough becomes stiff to stir, knead in the remaining flour with your hands.)
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 10 inches long by 8 inches wide and about l/2 inch thick. With a ruler and a pastry wheel or a small, sharp knife, cut the rectangle lengthwise into four 2-inchwide strips, and make crisscrossing diagonal cuts at 2x2-inch intervals across them to form small triangles (or you can just use cookie cutters). Prick the pieces all over with the tines of a fork, making an even pattern of tiny holes on the surface. Arrange the triangles on the baking sheet and bake in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm to the touch and delicately browned. With a wide metal spatula, transfer the triangles to cake racks to cool completely. If desired, drizzle or dip in melted chocolate. Shortbread will keep for 2 or 3 weeks in tightly covered jars or tins.
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