Shortbread cookies are not just cookies, they are vessels. They are great for delivering flavor combinations, as well as delivering your favorite ice creams to your mouth. Because these cookies are very simple and basic in flavor, they easily take on any flavor that they are combined with.
The cookie is simply made by combining 2 cups of flour with ½ cup of sugar, ¼ teaspoon of salt, 8 ounces of cold chopped butter, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a bowl. Start by bringing all of the ingredients together with your fingertips until it forms a dough. Mix the dough by hand until a smooth dough is formed.
Roll the dough out to form a round disk that is ½ inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for a half an hour. Once chilled, unwrap and roll the dough out on a floured surface until ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough with a round cutter or with a knife into squares.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet, with spacing around 1 inch between each cookie, and bake at 325 degrees for about 12 minutes. Check after 10 minutes and if they have started to lightly brown around the edges, they are done. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack so that the bottoms of the cookies do not become soggy.
Wasn’t that easy and fun? Now let’s get creative with it! Make the dough again, but this time let us add some different components to the mix. Take some chopped cooked bacon, grated cheddar, a little chopped garlic, and fresh chopped thyme and mix it in the dough. We can even dress it up after the cookies are done by adding a little cocoa powder or lemon zest and dip in melted chocolate. This is great to snack on with your coffee. Another way would be to top with ice cream and serve.
Whatever you decide to do, just remember to have fun with it!
Crafted Creations 