I love shortbread. The simple combination of butter, sugar, and flour is phenomenal alone. But what I really love to do is blend ingredients into the dough and build new flavor combinations. Although I have incorporated everything from Corn Nuts to Folger’s Crystals into shortbread, I have yet to run out of shortbread combinations.
This chapter contains two styles of shortbread—what I call #1 and #2. In both, the butter “shorts” the dough, interfering with its ability to form strands of gluten. This makes buttery, crumbly, flat cookies. The minimal leavening that occurs comes from the butter melting as the dough bakes, creating air pockets. For Shortbread #1, I cut cold butter into sugar and flour and then roll the dough out into a smooth sheet right after mixing it. These cookies have a classic buttery quality to them. I love their simplicity, but I also like to use them as the base of layered cookies, such as the Leopard Print or the Pistachio Shortbread with Cranberry Preserves. Master this technique and you will have a tool to use to create your own cookies based on the Shortbread #1 formula.
For Shortbread #2, I cream butter and confectioners’ sugar together and then mix in egg yolk before adding the flour. The texture of these cookies is silkier than Shortbread #1, with a melt-in-your-mouth consistency that comes from the confectioners’ sugar. Because it is much softer than the first type of shortbread, I refrigerate the dough before rolling it out. I use the Shortbread #2 method to make many of the sandwich cookies in chapter 3. And, like Shortbread #1, you can use Shortbread #2 as a base for your own cookie inventions.
The last cookie in this chapter is neither a Shortbread #1 nor a #2 but rather a sablé, a French “short” cookie with a signature sandy texture. It stands apart from the others in its method and shaping process, but it has a similar melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
For every cause, there is an effect. Mixing, rolling, and baking shortbread correctly while being mindful of the temperature of the ingredients and of the kitchen itself will make the difference between a successful day of baking and a frustrating one. Shortbread does not like being rushed. If your kitchen is too hot, your dough too sticky, or your oven temperature off by 25°F, making shortbread can quickly become a headache. Trust me: I have probably made every shortbread mistake possible, and I want to help you avoid making the same ones.
Below, I have detailed the stages of
making shortbread. Refer to this guide when making the recipes in this chapter and
chapter 3.
When making shortbread that requires chilling butter, cutting the butter into even pieces before chilling ensures consistent results. First cut a stick of cold butter in half lengthwise. Give the stick a quarter flip and cut in half lengthwise again. Then cut the stick crosswise 8 times to form even cubes.
Chilling the dough gives it time to relax, making it easier to shape and cut. This is especially helpful for Shortbread #2. Refrigerating the dough overnight makes it much easier to roll out than refrigerating it for a couple of hours.
In the years that I’ve baked professionally, I have never had the luxury of using a pastry sheeter, a machine that rolls dough into an even, smooth sheet, which is helpful when rolling out shortbread and tart doughs, or laminated doughs like croissants. So I came up with my own way of rolling out dough that gives me consistent results without a sheeter.
The key is parchment paper. I put the dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper the same size as a half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan. Before rolling the dough out, I pat it into a rectangle. It is far easier to roll dough into a rectangle if you start with a rectangle. Using the size of the parchment paper as a guide, I roll the dough using a rolling pin, stopping to straighten the sides with the bench scraper or patch together holes if any form. To smooth out smaller areas, such as a corner that’s becoming too thick, I switch from the rolling pin to the pastry roller. A
pastry roller is especially helpful for preparing layered cookies such as the
Leopard Print because it is designed to smooth out tight corners and small areas, and it helps press together layers that are stacked inside a pan.
To keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper, I lightly dust the top of the dough with flour, place another sheet of parchment paper on top, and, sandwiching the dough between both sheets of parchment, flip the packet over. I peel off the top layer of parchment and continue to roll out the dough. I repeat this sandwiching and flipping process a couple of times as I work. You can use the same parchment paper for lining the half-sheet pans.
If you work patiently, straightening the sides as you go and dusting with flour when needed, it is easy to roll out perfect rectangles of dough every time. If you want to add dimension to the surface, use a textured rolling pin during the final stages of rolling out the dough, as I did with the Goat Butter Shortbread (
pictured here).
Once I have rolled the shortbread dough into one nice sheet, I roll a
dough docker over the surface. By “docking” the dough—piercing it with small holes—I create vents in the dough that let steam escape as the shortbread bakes. This prevents the shortbread from doming or puffing as it bakes. If you don’t have a dough docker, pierce the surface evenly with a fork.
After I have rolled out and docked the shortbread dough, I once again sandwich the dough between two pieces of parchment paper, transfer the packet to a half sheet pan, and refrigerate it until firm. At Hot Chocolate, I stack multiple sheets of shortbread dough on top of each other on a single sheet pan and put the pan in the walk-in refrigerator. As long as the layers are dusted with flour, they will not stick to the parchment paper. For tips on chilling dough when sheet pans don’t fit in the refrigerator, see
this page.
If the shortbread dough maintains a cool—but not ice cold—temperature while rolling and cutting, it will be compliant. The dough is best when it is the temperature of cool marble. I refrigerate the dough in between steps, and I work quickly while cutting the dough to prevent it from becoming too warm.
If the dough becomes very sticky, it may be too warm. Transfer the partially rolled dough to the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. Similarly, if the dough starts to stick to the cookie cutters or your knife when you are portioning it, refrigerate it until the dough is cold to the touch. If the dough is too cold, it can crack. Leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes.
I like rectangular shortbread cookies, and my favorite cutter is a vintage rectangle cookie cutter with scalloped edges that runs approximately 1¾ inches by 2½ inches. You can use any favorite cookie cutter shape for any of the recipes in this chapter, but be aware that the yields may change.
I also like cutting out cookies with no cutter at all. The beauty of this method is that you can make as much use of the cookie dough as possible without having to reroll it. To cut out rectangles for cookies in this chapter or for sandwich cookies in
chapter 3, follow these steps:
1. Trim the dough to a 10 by 12½-inch rectangle.
2. Make 2-inch notches on the shorter side and 2½-inch notches on the longer side to create a grid.
3. Using a chef’s knife, cut along the grid to cut out rectangular cookies.
A less fussy way to go about cutting cookies is to slice the dough lengthwise into four even strips and then cut it crosswise into eight even strips. I love the slightly irregular rectangles this method creates, but I don’t recommend it for the sandwich cookies in
chapter 3 because it makes pairing up cookies difficult.
There are several possible outcomes for the scraps of dough left from cutting out cookies. You can refrigerate and reroll the remaining dough, which is what I do. Or you can pat it into a log and refrigerate it to slice later for fast and easy shortbread. Or save up trimmings. When you have enough, grab all the animal-shaped cookie cutters you have and make a bunch of animal crackers. (I like to dress them up with bits of brittle or toffee saved from other recipes.) The world is your oyster.
Butter-rich cookies—especially Shortbread #1—are sensitive to oven temperature. If the butter looks like it is breaking out of the shortbread dough as it bakes, causing the edges to turn rough, the oven may be running too hot. Lower the temperature by 25°F before baking the remaining cookies. (See
“Know Your Oven” for more about oven temperatures.)
SHORTBREAD #1: CUT THE BUTTER
makes 28 cookies
THIS RECIPE REPRESENTS THE “cut the butter” method of making shortbread. It forms the foundation for the following four shortbread cookies. You can use it as a base for shortbread creativity, as I do, or make it as is for a lovely classic rendition of this buttery cookie.
To cut out the cookies, you will need a rectangular cutter approximately 1¾ by 2½ inches.
1 cup (8 ounces) cold, unsalted butter,
cubed½ cup granulated sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and refrigerate until the butter is firm, approximately 30 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
Remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar and mix on low speed until the dough starts to resemble a coarse meal, approximately 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough just starts to clump around the paddle or to the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, bring the dough completely together by hand.
Place the dough on a work surface lightly dusted with flour. Roll the dough back and forth into a cylinder. Using your fingers, pat the dough into a rectangle. Put a sheet of parchment paper the same dimensions as a half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan on the work surface and dust lightly with flour. Put the dough on top.
Using a rolling pin, begin rolling out the dough. If any cracks form in the dough, stop to push them together. To keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper, dust the top lightly with flour, cover with another piece of parchment paper, and, sandwiching the dough between both sheets of parchment paper, flip the dough and paper over. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper and continue to roll. Roll the dough into a 10 by 12- or 14-inch rectangle approximately ¼ inch thick. If the surface is uneven, roll a pastry roller across the surface to even it out.
Ease the dough and parchment paper onto a half sheet pan. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes.
Line a couple of half sheet pans with parchment paper. Heat the oven to 350°F.
Let the dough sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. Invert the dough onto a work surface and peel off the top sheet of parchment paper. Roll a dough docker over the dough or pierce it numerous times with a fork.
Using a 1¾ by 2½-inch (or comparable) cookie cutter, cut out the shortbread. Reroll the trimmings, chill, and cut out the dough. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, you can cut out the rectangles with a knife using the instructions on
this page.
Evenly space 12 to 16 shortbreads on the prepared pan. Place the pan in the oven, lower the temperature to 325°F, and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake until the cookies feel firm to the touch and are lightly golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes more. Let the cookies cool entirely on the sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
CORN NUT CORNMEAL SHORTBREAD
makes 28 cookies
DURING THE END OF summer when corn reaches its peak sweetness level, we make pint after pint of sweet corn ice cream. I wanted to create an alternative to caramel corn—my usual accompaniment for the ice cream—so I turned to Corn Nuts. Grinding these giant Incan corn kernels into a powdery cornmeal and mixing them into shortbread dough gives cookies the perfect sweet-salty balance.
To cut out the cookies, you will need a rectangular cutter approximately 1¾ by 2½ inches.
1 cup (8 ounces) cold, unsalted butter,
cubed½ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup Corn Nuts or giant Incan corn kernels
Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and refrigerate until the butter is firm, approximately 30 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, and salt.
Put the Corn Nuts in a food processor. Add ¾ cup of the flour mixture and blend until a coarse meal forms and no large pieces of Corn Nut remain. Pulse in the remaining flour mixture.
Remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the corn kernel mixture to the butter and sugar and mix on low speed until the dough starts to resemble a coarse meal, approximately 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough just starts to clump around the paddle or to the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, bring the dough completely together by hand.
Place the dough on a surface lightly dusted with flour. Roll the dough back and forth into a cylinder. Using your fingers, pat the dough into a rectangle. Put a sheet of parchment paper the same dimensions as a half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan on the work surface and dust lightly with flour. Put the dough on top.
Using a rolling pin, begin rolling out the dough. If any cracks form in the dough, stop to push them together. To keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper, dust the top lightly with flour, cover with an additional piece of parchment paper, and, sandwiching the dough between both sheets of parchment paper, flip the dough and paper over. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper and continue to roll. Roll the dough into a 10 by 12- or 14-inch rectangle approximately ¼ inch thick. If the surface is uneven, roll a pastry roller across the surface to even it out.
Ease the dough and parchment paper onto a half sheet pan. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a couple of half sheet pans with parchment paper.
Let the dough sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. Invert the dough onto a work surface and peel off the top layer of parchment paper. Run a dough docker across the surface of the dough or pierce numerous times with a fork.
Using a 1¾ by 2½-inch (or comparable) cookie cutter, cut out the shortbread. If you don’t have a comparable cookie cutter, you can cut out the rectangles with a knife using the instructions on
this page. Reroll the dough trimmings, chill, and cut out more cookies.
Evenly space 12 to 16 shortbreads on the prepared pan. Place the pan in the oven, lower the temperature to 325°F, and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake until the cookies feel firm to the touch, 6 to 8 minutes more. Let the cookies cool entirely on the sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
GOAT BUTTER SHORTBREAD
makes approximately 28 cookies
THERE IS SOMETHING PRISTINE about these cookies that makes me think of afternoon tea. Goat’s milk butter makes an entirely different kind of shortbread than cow’s milk butter. It is mildly tangy, with a wholesome quality that complements the whole wheat flour and wheat germ—like a new-age graham cracker. The dough takes slightly longer to mix than the other #1 shortbreads in this chapter, but it rolls out easily.
To cut out the cookies, you will need a rectangular cutter approximately 1¾ by 2½ inches.
1 cup (8 ounces) cold goat butter,
cubed½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup toasted wheat germ
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and refrigerate until the butter is firm, approximately 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F and spread the wheat germ onto a half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan. Toast until slightly aromatic, approximately 3 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
In a bowl, whisk together the flours, salts, and toasted wheat germ.
Remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar and mix on low speed until the dough starts to resemble a coarse meal, 6 to 8 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough just starts to clump around the paddle or to the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, bring the dough completely together by hand.
Place the dough on a surface lightly dusted with flour. Roll the dough back and forth into a cylinder. Using your fingers, pat the dough into a rectangle. Put a sheet of parchment paper the same dimensions as a half sheet pan on the work surface and dust lightly with flour. Put the dough on top.
Using a rolling pin, begin rolling out the dough. If any cracks form in the dough, stop to push them together. To keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper, dust the top lightly with flour, cover with another piece of parchment paper, and, sandwiching the dough between both sheets of parchment paper, flip the dough and paper over. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper and continue to roll. Roll the dough into a 10 by 12- or 14-inch rectangle approximately ¼ inch thick. If the surface is uneven, roll a pastry roller across the surface to even it out.
Ease the dough and parchment paper onto a half sheet pan. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a couple of half sheet pans with parchment paper.
Let the dough sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. Invert the dough onto a work surface and peel off the top sheet of parchment paper. Roll a dough docker over the dough or pierce it numerous times with a fork.
Using a 1¾ by 2½-inch (or comparable) cookie cutter, cut out the shortbread. Reroll the dough trimmings, chill, and cut out more cookies. If you don’t have a comparable cookie cutter, you can cut out the rectangles with a knife using the instructions on
this page.
Evenly space 12 to 16 shortbreads on the prepared pan. Place the pan in the oven, lower the temperature to 325°F, and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake until the cookies feel firm to the touch and are slightly brown around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes more. Let the cookies cool entirely on the sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD WITH CRANBERRY PRESERVES
makes approximately 68 cookies
THESE ARE SMALL, FESTIVE cookies. I make them around the holidays and give them away as gifts—who doesn’t like toasted pistachios? I like to dip the ends in white chocolate and then green and red sanding sugar to make them stand out on a cookie platter, but this is optional; the cookies are great on their own.
It is easy to buy freshly toasted, shelled, salted pistachios. But if you have untoasted pistachios, toast them in a 325°F oven until lightly tanned, 10 to 15 minutes, before making the shortbread.
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Pinch of salt
1 cup (8 ounces) cold, salted butter,
cubed½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup shelled, toasted, salted pistachios
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces white chocolate, melted, for garnish (optional)
Red and green sanding sugar, for garnish (optional)
In a small pot, bring the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat slightly and cook down until most of the liquid has evaporated and the cranberries are very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. While still hot, puree in a food processor until smooth. Cool to a cool room temperature. As the puree cools, it will thicken. You will have approximately ½ cup.
Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and refrigerate until the butter is firm, approximately 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the pistachios in the freezer and freeze until chilled, approximately 20 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
Put the pistachios in a food processor. Add the flour mixture and blend until a coarse meal forms and no large pieces of pistachio remain. Do not overblend or the pistachios will form a paste.
Remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the flour-nut mixture to the butter and sugar and mix on low speed until the dough starts to resemble a coarse meal, approximately 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough just starts to clump around the paddle or to the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, bring the dough completely together by hand.
Place the dough on a surface lightly dusted with flour and roll back and forth
into a cylinder. Put the dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper the same dimensions as a half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan. Using your fingers, pat the dough into a rectangle. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into an approximately 13 by 18-inch rectangle. If any cracks form in the dough, stop to push them together. To keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper, dust the top lightly with flour, cover with another piece of parchment paper, and, sandwiching the dough between both sheets of parchment paper, flip the dough and paper over. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper and continue to roll.
Replace the top layer of parchment paper and transfer to a half sheet pan. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Remove the shortbread from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Spray a quarter sheet (9 by 13-inch) pan or glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and line with plastic wrap, leaving 5 inches of overhang on the short sides and 7 inches on the long sides.
Cut the layer of shortbread in half crosswise to create 2 rectangles each. Put one half of the shortbread into the quarter sheet pan. If it falls short of the edges, roll the dough into the corners using a pastry roller. If it is too large, trim the sides.
Using an offset spatula, spread the cranberry preserves evenly over the layer of shortbread. Do not miss the corners. Put the remaining shortbread half on top. Cover with the plastic wrap overhang and smooth the surface with a pastry roller. Refrigerate overnight.
Heat the oven to 325°F. Line a couple of half sheet pans with parchment paper and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Remove the shortbread from the refrigerator and let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Unmold the shortbread. Trim off the sides. Cut the shortbread lengthwise into thirds approximately 2½ inches wide. Slice each third crosswise into ½-inch-thick strips.
Place 30 strips on a prepared sheet pan with the cut-side facing up. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake until the shortbread strips are firm to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cool the shortbread completely on the sheet pans.
To decorate (optional): dip the ends of the cookies into the white chocolate, followed by the sanding sugar. Place on parchment paper and let set.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
LEOPARD PRINT: VANILLA BEAN AND CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD WITH HOT FUDGE
makes approximately 68 small cookies
ONE DAY I STARTED dotting the surface of
vanilla shortbread with pieces of chocolate shortbread to create “spots” to mimic the black seeds in banana. As a result, leopard print was born. What I love about the pattern is its imperfection—no two spots are identical.
The leopard print sits on the top of four layers of chocolate and vanilla shortbread. Brushed between the layers is hot fudge mixed with a splash of porter beer, which curbs the chocolate’s richness. The most efficient way to go about making this shortbread is to chill the butter and sugar for the chocolate and the vanilla shortbread at the same time. After mixing the vanilla shortbread, use the same mixing bowl to mix the chocolate shortbread (no need to wash it in between). Next, roll out the four shortbread layers and then stack them on a half sheet tray with parchment paper separating each layer. While the shortbread chills, bring the hot fudge to room temperature or zap it on half power in the microwave until it starts to melt around the edges.
1 cup (8 ounces) cold, unsalted butter,
cubed½ cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (8 ounces) cold, unsalted butter,
cubed½ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup natural cocoa powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon porter-style beer (optional)
Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and refrigerate until the butter is firm, approximately 30 minutes.
Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using the tip of a spoon, scrape out the seeds and add them to the butter and sugar.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt on low speed until the dough starts to resemble a coarse meal, approximately 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough just starts to clump around the paddle or the sides of the bowl, 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, transfer the dough to a surface lightly dusted with flour. No need to refrigerate.
Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and refrigerate until the butter is firm, approximately 30 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, sugar, and flour mixture on low speed until the dough starts to resemble a coarse meal, approximately 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough just starts to clump around the paddle or the sides of the bowl, 3 to 4 minutes more. (The chocolate shortbread may take longer than the vanilla.) Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. No need to refrigerate.
Roll the vanilla dough back and forth into a cylinder. Divide the cylinder in half. Put half the dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Using your fingers, pat the dough into a rectangle.
With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 9 by 13-inch rectangle. If any cracks form in the dough, stop to push them together. If you start to lose the rectangle shape, press the edges against the bench scraper to square off the sides. To keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper, dust the top lightly with flour, cover with another piece of parchment paper, and, sandwiching the dough between both sheets of parchment paper, flip the dough and paper over. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper and continue to roll.
Replace the top layer of parchment paper and transfer the shortbread and its two layers of parchment to a half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan. Repeat with the remaining half of the vanilla dough and stack the layer on top of the first.
Pinch off a ping pong ball–size piece of dough from the chocolate shortbread. You will use this to make the leopard spots. Divide the chocolate shortbread in half and roll out into two rectangles using the same process as for the vanilla shortbread.
Stack both chocolate layers on top of the vanilla layers, ensuring that the top layer is covered with a piece of parchment paper. Wrap the reserved piece of chocolate shortbread dough in plastic wrap and place on the sheet pan. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Spray a quarter sheet (9 by 13-inch) pan or glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and line with plastic wrap, leaving 5 inches of overhang on the short sides and 7 inches on the long sides.
In a small bowl, whisk together the hot fudge and porter.
Remove the shortbread from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
To assemble, put a layer of chocolate shortbread into the prepared quarter
sheet pan. If it falls short of the edges, roll the dough into the corners using a pastry roller. If it is too large, use a paring knife to trim the sides. Save the chocolate scraps for the leopard spots. If the surface looks bumpy, use a pastry roller to smooth it. With a pastry brush, brush a third of the hot fudge—2 spoonfuls—over the shortbread. Do not miss the edges.
Put a layer of vanilla shortbread on top, pressing it lightly to adhere it to the bottom layer. If the surface looks bumpy, lightly roll a pastry roller over the surface to smooth it. Brush with another third of the hot fudge and repeat the process with another layer of chocolate and the remaining hot fudge. Press the last layer of vanilla shortbread onto the top.
To make the leopard spots, pinch off pieces of the reserved chocolate shortbread no bigger than a pencil eraser. Push chocolate shortbread into the surface of the vanilla shortbread to make thumbprint-size leopard spots. Cover the top with the overhanging pieces of plastic wrap. Roll a pastry roller over the surface to smooth the spots into the shortbread and refrigerate overnight.
Heat the oven to 325°F. Line a couple of half sheet pans with parchment paper and coat with nonstick cooking spray.
Remove the shortbread from the refrigerator and let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Unmold the shortbread. Trim off the sides. Halve the shortbread lengthwise, then cut each half lengthwise into thirds. You will have 6 long strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 1-inch pieces. If you have a 1 by 1½-inch cookie cutter, you may use it instead to cut out the shortbread.
Place 20 squares onto a prepared sheet pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue to bake until the layers of the shortbread pieces have relaxed (they do not bake as perfect rectangles) and are nearly firm to the touch, 8 to 11 minutes more. Cool the shortbread completely on the sheet pans. Repeat with the remaining dough.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
SHORTBREAD #2: CREAM THE BUTTER
makes approximately 32 cookies
BUTTER, CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR, AND egg yolk give shortbread a melt-in-your-mouth consistency. This recipe—utilizing what I call the “cream the butter” method—is flexible, and I use the same technique to make the
Forgotten-Nut Shortbread,
Citrus and Brown Butter Shortbread, and
Smoked Chocolate Sablés in this chapter and many of the sandwich cookies found in
chapter 3. When I want these cookies to be extra special, I make them with freshly made butter. You can either buy fancy butter at a farmers’ market or make your own by following the instructions on
this page.
13 tablespoons (6½ ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter on medium speed for 5 to 10 seconds. Add the sugar and mix on low speed to incorporate. Increase the speed to medium and cream the butter mixture until it is aerated and looks like frosting, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to bring the batter together.
Put the yolk in a small cup or bowl and add the vanilla.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour and salts.
On medium speed, add the yolk and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix until the batter resembles cottage cheese, approximately 5 seconds. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to bring the batter together. Mix on medium speed for 20 to 30 seconds to make nearly homogeneous.
Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together but still looks shaggy, approximately 30 seconds. Do not overmix. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, bring the dough completely together by hand.
Stretch out a long sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface and put the dough on top. Pat into a rectangle, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until chilled throughout, at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
Unwrap the dough and place on a surface lightly dusted with flour. Leave at room temperature until the dough has warmed up but is still slightly cool to the touch.
Put a sheet of parchment paper the same dimensions as a half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan on the work surface and dust lightly with flour. Put the dough on top.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10 by 12- or 14-inch rectangle approximately ¼ inch thick. If the edges become uneven, push the edge of a bench scraper against the dough to straighten out the sides. To keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper, dust the top lightly with flour, cover with another piece of parchment paper, and, sandwiching the dough between both sheets of parchment paper, flip the dough and paper over. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper and continue to roll.
Ease the dough and parchment paper onto a half sheet pan. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a couple of half sheet pans with parchment paper.
Let the dough sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. Invert the dough onto a work surface and peel off the top sheet of parchment paper. Roll a dough docker over the dough or pierce it numerous times with a fork. Using a 2-inch fluted round (or comparable) cookie cutter, cut out the shortbread. If you don’t have a comparable cookie cutter, cut the dough lengthwise using a chef’s knife, square off the sides. Cut the dough lengthwise into 4 even strips. Cut the dough crosswise into 8 even strips.
Put the shortbread on the prepared half sheet pans, evenly spacing 12 to 18 cookies per pan.
Bake one pan at a time for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake until the cookies feel firm and hold their shape when touched, 4 to 6 minutes more. Let the cookies cool entirely on the sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
FORGOTTEN-NUT SHORTBREAD
makes approximately 32 cookies
HAVE YOU HAD A Brazil nut lately? As rich as a cashew and as buttery as a macadamia, this is one sexy nut. Yet it is all but forgotten when it comes to dessert. This is a missed opportunity: Brazil nuts seamlessly complement sweet flavors, especially milk chocolate. In this shortbread, I grind toasted Brazil nuts with milk chocolate into a coarse meal and mix it into the flour. Because the nuts contain a lot of oil, I freeze them with pieces of the chocolate before grinding them to avoid making Brazil nut butter.
To cut out the cookies, you will need a teardrop-shaped or oval cutter approximately 2 inches long.
¾ cup (4 ounces) unsalted Brazil nuts
4 ounces milk chocolate (preferably 33% cacao), broken into pieces
1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
13 tablespoons (6½ ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Spread the Brazil nuts onto a half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan and toast until lightly tanned, approximately 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Put the nuts and chocolate in a bowl and freeze until thoroughly chilled, approximately 30 minutes.
In a food processor, grind the nuts, chocolate, and flour until a coarse meal forms. Pulse in the salts.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter on medium speed for 5 to 10 seconds. Add the sugar and mix on low speed to incorporate. Increase the speed to medium and cream the butter mixture until it is aerated and looks like frosting, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to bring the batter together.
Put the yolk in a small cup or bowl and add the vanilla.
On medium speed, add the yolk and vanilla, mixing briefly until the batter resembles cottage cheese, approximately 5 seconds. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to bring the batter together. Mix on medium speed for 20 to 30 seconds to make nearly homogeneous.
Add the flour-nut meal all at once and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together but still looks shaggy, approximately 30 seconds. Do not overmix. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, bring the dough completely together by hand.
Stretch out a long sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface and put the dough on
top. Pat into a rectangle, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until chilled throughout, at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
Unwrap the dough and place on a surface lightly dusted with flour. Leave at room temperature until the dough has warmed up but is still cool to the touch.
Put a sheet of parchment paper the same dimensions as a half sheet pan on the work surface and dust lightly with flour. Put the dough on top.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 10 by 12 inches and ¼ inch thick. If the edges become uneven, push a bench scraper against the dough to straighten them out. To keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper, periodically dust the top lightly with flour, cover with another piece of parchment paper, and, sandwiching the dough between both sheets of parchment paper, flip the dough and paper over. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper and continue to roll.
Ease the dough and parchment paper onto a half sheet pan. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a couple of half sheet pans with parchment paper.
Let the dough sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. Invert the dough onto a work surface and peel off the top sheet of parchment paper. Roll a dough docker over the dough or pierce it numerous times with a fork.
Using a 2-inch long teardrop (or comparable) cookie cutter, cut out the shortbread. Reroll the dough trimmings, chill, and cut out more cookies. If you don’t have a comparable cookie cutter, cut the dough lengthwise into 4 even strips. Cut the dough crosswise into 8 even strips.
Evenly space up to 16 shortbreads on the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake until the cookies feel firm to the touch, 4 to 5 minutes more. Let the cookies cool entirely on the sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
CITRUS AND BROWN BUTTER SHORTBREAD
makes approximately 32 cookies
CITRUS ZEST AND BROWN butter were made to be together. Each ingredient is aromatic on its own, but when paired together, they make magic: the brown butter grounds the bright notes from the lime, lemon, grapefruit, and orange zest. You could stick to one kind of zest and make a very good cookie. But I find with zest, the more the merrier.
Before you start anything else, brown the butter. You can do this the day before, refrigerate it, and bring it to a cool room temperature before using.
To cut out the cookies, you will need a 2-inch flower or round cutter.
15 tablespoons (7½ ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
½ orange, for zesting (approximately 1½ teaspoons)
½ lemon, for zesting (approximately 1½ teaspoons)
1 lime, for zesting (approximately 1½ teaspoons)
¼ grapefruit, for zesting (approximately 1½ teaspoons)
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
In a saucepan, melt 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) of the butter over medium-low heat and cook until the milk solids have fallen to the bottom of the pot and turned golden brown and fragrant like toasted nuts, 7 minutes or longer, depending on how cold the butter is to start. Pour the butter into a heatproof bowl and refrigerate it, stirring occasionally, until it becomes solid like shortening at room temperature, approximately 30 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the brown butter and the remaining 7 tablespoons (3½ ounces) butter on medium speed for 10 seconds. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low speed to incorporate. Increase the speed to medium and cream the butter mixture until it is aerated and looks like frosting, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to bring the batter together. Grate the orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit zest directly into the mixing bowl and mix for 30 seconds to combine.
Put the yolk in a small cup or bowl and add the vanilla.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour and salts.
On medium speed, add the yolk and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix until the batter resembles cottage cheese, approximately 5 seconds. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to bring the batter together. Mix on medium speed for 20 to 30 seconds to make nearly homogeneous.
Add the flour mixture all at once and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together but still looks shaggy, approximately 30 seconds. Do not overmix. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, bring the dough completely together by hand.
Stretch out a long sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface and put the dough on top. Pat into a rectangle, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until chilled throughout, at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
Unwrap the dough and place on a surface lightly dusted with flour. Leave at room temperature until the dough has warmed up but is still cool to the touch.
Put a sheet of parchment paper the same dimensions as a half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan on the work surface and dust lightly with flour. Put the dough on top.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 10 by 12 inches and ¼ inch thick. If the edges become uneven, push a bench scraper against the dough to straighten out the sides. To keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper, periodically dust the top lightly with flour, cover with another piece of parchment paper, and, sandwiching the dough between both sheets of parchment paper, flip the dough and paper over. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper and continue to roll.
Ease the dough and parchment paper onto a half sheet pan. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a couple of half sheet pans with parchment paper.
Let the dough sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. Invert the dough onto a work surface and peel off the top sheet of parchment paper. Using a 2-inch flower or round cookie cutter, cut out the shortbread. Reroll the dough trimmings, chill, and cut out more cookies. If you don’t have a comparable cookie cutter, cut the dough lengthwise into 4 even strips. Cut the dough crosswise into 8 even strips.
Put the shortbread on the prepared sheet pans, evenly spacing 16 cookies per pan.
Bake one pan at a time for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake until the cookies feel firm and hold their shape when touched, 3 to 5 minutes more. Let the cookies cool entirely on the pans.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
SMOKED CHOCOLATE SABLÉS
makes 40 cookies
SABLÉS ARE FRENCH COUSINS to shortbread. They have a sandier texture than shortbread, yet they share a similar melt-in-your-mouth quality. I first made these cookies with a bag of Mast Brothers smoked cocoa nibs. Ground with flour in a food processor, the cocoa nibs permeate the dough with an addictive smokiness. To underline this smoky flavor, I season the dough with smoked sea salt. And even though I’m a milk chocolate girl at heart, I go dark with this cookie, mixing in bittersweet chocolate—the savory cocoa nibs demand it. For textural contrast, I roll the edges in demerara sugar to give the cookies a crunchy caramel exterior.
3 ounces dark chocolate (preferably 71% cacao)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup cocoa nibs (preferably smoked cocoa nibs)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon smoked sea salt flakes
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¾ cup demerara sugar
1 extra-large egg white, lightly beaten
Using a sharp chef’s knife and holding the tip in place with one hand, rock the blade against the chocolate to create shavings. Run the knife through the shavings until you have a mixture of coarse and fine pieces. You will have approximately ¾ cup of chocolate pieces.
Blend the chocolate, flours, cocoa nibs, and salts in a food processor until the cocoa nibs are ground to a fine meal and no large pieces of chocolate remain.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter briefly on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the butter mixture is aerated and pale in color, approximately 4 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low speed until the dough comes together but still looks shaggy, approximately 30 seconds. Do not overmix. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, bring the dough completely together by hand.
On a surface lightly dusted with flour, gather the dough into a mass and roll it into a cylinder approximately 7½ inches long. Pat into a rectangle approximately 6½ inches wide, holding the bench scraper against the edges to square them off. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a couple of half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pans with parchment paper. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
Cut the dough rectangle crosswise into five 1½-inch strips. Spread the demerara sugar out onto the work surface. With a pastry brush, paint the sides of the strips with the egg white. Dip each side into the sugar. Slice the rectangles crosswise
into ½-inch cookies. Arrange the cookies on the prepared sheet pans with the cut side facing up.
Bake one pan at a time for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake until the cookies have slight cracks on the top and have set, another 5 to 7 minutes. When ready, the cookies will still be soft, but you will be able to gently move them. Let the cookies cool completely on the pan. Repeat with second pan.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
