EARL GREY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

Shortbread cookies have unique texture, and are surprisingly addictive. This version, flavored with tea and a touch of orange extract, followed the basic method from Helen Fletcher, described in her cookbook: Craving Cookies, The Quintessential American Cookie Book. The food processor makes perfect shortbread dough every single time.

EARL GREY SHORTBREAD COOKIES
(inspired by several sources)

4 bags of Earl Grey tea (about 8g tea, I used decaf)
310 g all purpose flour
48 g cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
227 g butter, very cold, cut into pieces
115 g powdered sugar
1/2 tsp orange extract

Heat the oven to 275 F.

Add tea, flour, cornstarch and salt to the food processor and process a few seconds to mix. Add the butter, process until it is dispersed in small pieces, stop the processor, add the powdered sugar and orange extract, and process it again until a dough forms. You can turn the processor on and off a few times for more efficient mixing. Once the dough starts to form and dance around the bowl, stop and gather it gently with your hands, forming a disc over parchment paper.

If you worked fast, you can proceed right away forming balls, each with 33g of dough. If the dough it too soft or feels at all warm, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.

Working with one little ball at a time, press a design using your favorite cookie press coated with flour so it won’t stick. Freeze the cookies for 10 minutes, then bake at 275F for about 50 minutes over parchment paper. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Shortbread is perfect for pressing a pattern or using decorative molds, as there is no leavening agent in the dough. Freezing is an additional step that helps the pattern stay even better during baking. As to the low temperature, 275 F gives shortbread a wonderful texture. I saw that recommended in a couple of websites and cookbooks and gave it a try in this bake. Loved it. If you are not pressed for time, consider this little twist. I baked them for 55 minutes exactly, the edges were starting to get golden.

ONE YEAR AGO: Summertime Macaron Duet

TWO YEARS AGO: Pain de Mie Dressed up for Party

THREE YEARS AGO: Five-Stranded Bread

FOUR YEARS AGO: Green Olive Salad

FIVE YEARS AGO: Coffee Macarons Dressed up to Party

SIX YEARS AGO: Blogging Hiatus

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Tomato Tatin

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Headed to Colorado!

NINE YEARS AGO: Farofa Brasileira

TEN YEARS AGO: Thai-Inspired Pork Tenderloin

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: A yummy Brazilian cake: Bolo de Fuba’

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Summer’s Tomatoes

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Leaving on a jet plane…

4Jul2022

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

For those in the USA, have a nice celebration… please do your part to minimize the fireworks, as it is so difficult for pets and for many human beings, for all sorts of reasons.

To learn more about this set of cookies, stop by my cookie blog with a click here…

21Jun2022

PRIDE MACARONS

Posted in macarons by sallybr

With Pride Month in mind, I made a batch of colorful macarons, filled with raspberry jam and lemon-flavored buttercream. The universe conspired so that in that exact week I had a maintenance appointment with my orthodontist. And to my surprise, they were “wigging it”: every staff member, orthodontists included, went to work wearing a colorful wig. They asked the patients to do the same, if they were so inclined… I was more than happy to comply (see the end of this post).

For the macaron shells, follow this recipe (I added 1/4 tsp egg white powder to the granulated sugar, whisked very well, before incorporating into the meringue, because humidity was at 58% the day I made the macarons)

LEMON-BUTTERCREAM MULTICOLOR FILLING

120g butter, softened
320g powdered sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
heavy cream to adjust consistency

Whisk the butter for 30 seconds or so, then add all other ingredients except the heavy cream. Whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved, then adjust the consistency with heavy cream. Divide the buttercream in 5 or more little bowls, add gel color to each bowl. Place lines of buttercream in different colors over plastic wrap, then roll them together as a little sausage. Cut one end, and place the roll inside a piping bag with a star tip. To assemble the macarons, add a circle of buttercream and a small dollop of seedless raspberry jam in the center.

ENJOY!

to print the buttercream recipe, click here

Comments: These were a lot of fun to make. After the shells were assembled, I used different luster powder colors diluted with vodka to pain a stripe for a simple, but effective decoration. They were delivered to the staff at Hayden and Kholmeier office with proper wig, as required…

ONE YEAR AGO: Blood Orange Macarons

TWO YEARS AGO: One-Two-Three Macarons

THREE YEARS AGO: Marshmallow Macarons

FOUR YEARS AGO: Fujisan Bread

FIVE YEARS AGO: Air-Fried Tomatoes with Hazelnut Pesto & Halloumi Cheese

SIX YEARS AGO: Red Velvet Layered Cake

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Lemon-Lavender Bars

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Quinoa Fried Rice

NINE YEARS AGO: Carrot Flan with Greens and Lemon Vinaigrette

TEN YEARS AGO: The Secret Recipe Club: Granola Bars

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Awesome Broccolini

TWELVE YEARS AGO: A Twist on Pesto

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Ciabatta: Judging a bread by its holes

13Jun2022

UKRAINE, NO WORDS NEEDED

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

ONE YEAR AGO: Mini-Pullman Sourdough Bread

TWO YEARS AGO: Gibassier

THREE YEARS AGO: Sundried Tomato Twist Bread

FOUR YEAR AGO: And now for something completely different….

FIVE YEARS AGO: Parsnip, Coconut, and Lemongrass Soup

SIX YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2016

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Paleo Moussaka

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2014

NINE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2013

TEN YEARS AGO: Crimson and Cream Turkey Chili

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Taking a break from the nano-kitchen

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Chocolate Chip Cookies

6May2022

A TRIO OF COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

As you may remember, I have a blog dedicated exclusively for cookies (click here), but it does not include recipes. It is a venue to document my path through cookie decorating. Come to think of it, check out my 3D macs that were published yesterday...) When I try a new, blog-worthy recipe, it will be shared right here. Today I offer you three recipes, all from bloggers I follow and love. They are listed in chronological order, the last one I made last weekend.

SPRITZ BARS
(from Helen Fletcher)

I made these cookies in October last year, and they were a huge hit. The instructions in Helen’s site are super detailed, and you’ll end up with little cookies that look very professional, uniform in size, the type of bake that makes me think of a certain tent of my past. For the full recipe, visit this post. I just love the use of Swedish pearl sugar.

CREAM CHEESE SUGAR COOKIES
(by Tanya Ott)

When Tanya raves about a sugar cookie, I listen. She knows her cookies well… The addition of cream cheese tames the sweetness and gives it a wonderful texture. She mentioned they hold the shape well – notice the recipe does not call for leavening agents – so I put it to a harsh test, using a patterned rolling pin. As you can see, the recipe passed the test with no issues! This batch was made in November last year, right after Tanya blogged about it (for the full recipe, click here)

The cookies would be perfect without any adornment, but I could not resist brushing a little pink luster dust and then some pearl. Just because…

TOFFEE SANDWICH COOKIES WITH BROWN BUTTER BUTTERCREAM FILLING
(from Josette, TheBrookCook)

If you read Josette’s post about it, you’ll understand why I jumped on making them right away. I was intrigued by the use of Toffee bits in the dough. Works like a charm. And the combination of cookie plus brown butter buttercream is outstanding. Make them, you won’t be disappointed. I changed the decoration to a drizzle of chocolate, but check her version for the authentic recipe (click here).