Tag: Shortbread
NCOTB #2 Orange, Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread (New Cookies on the Block)

NCOTB #2 Orange, Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread (New Cookies on the Block)

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Yay, the Twelve Seven Eight Days of Christmas Cookies!

The best-laid plans of mice and me…sometimes need a tweak.  Actually, not to pat myself on the back or anything, I think I did pretty “good”.  In between holiday baking we took a quick trip to Seattle. Four days of eating, walking, visiting the Space Needle and the Chihuly Garden and Glass, and watching the Forty-Niners beat the Seahawks!  I still managed to bake 8 days of Christmas cookies!

Our holiday cookie box is a mix of old and new cookies.  The tried and true include Scottish Shortbread, Jan Hagel’s (my mom’s favorite), Pecan Tartlets, and the mandatory jam-filled cookie, Dorie’s Jammers (the perfect choice).

The NCOTB (new cookies on the block, a nod to all you boy band fans) include a couple from this year’s New York Times Holiday Cookies.  My favorite of the bunch is Eric Kim’s Gochujang Caramel Cookies (I’ve made three batches already).  Crispy edges, chewy center, buttery with a sweet kick from the Gochujang paste, it’s different and delightful. My other favorite (can you have two favorites?) is Sue Li’s Orange, Pistachio, and Chocolate Shortbread.  Buttery shortbread studded with candied orange peel, green pistachios, and dark chocolate for a visually fun and tasty cookie.

Cookie Caveat

But, the first time I read through the recipe and NOTES (ALWAYS read the notes, foodies are not shy about sharing their opinion of a dish) it became clear that there were a couple of hitches in the recipe.  My OCD-Sherlockian-Watson persona took over.  I poured over the comments and scrutinized the measurements and directions (occupatinal hazard, I’m a pediatric pharmacist).

My dear NYTCooking – Something is afoot, there are discrepancies in the volumes and weights for this recipe, where are your editors? LOL. 3 cups of flour is not 419 grams.  3/4 cup of granulated sugar is not 175 grams.  So, I set about to modify the recipe as best I could:

  • I used 375 grams of King Arthur AP Flour aligning with std measurements for a cup since there were quite a few comments that the dough was too dry & crumbly.
  • Sue Li commented once to use 175 grams of sugar, so that’s what I used.  If there is wiggle room it would be with the sugar, use 150 grams for a not-as-sweet cookie.
  • The butter is also off, I opted to go by weight not volume.
  • I added 1 tsp vanilla, which couldn’t hurt plus added a bit more moisture.

The dough came together nicely.  Do not overmix, once it starts to clump, stop and gather together.

The 8-hour chilling time in the original recipe allows the flour to absorb moisture and hold together.  The modifications result in a nice, moist dough.  You may not need an 8-hour chill time.  The dough needs to be solid enough to slice and still hold its shape.

See how “purdy” the orange, green, and brown specks are?!

The finished cookie was buttery, with a fine crumb texture, with the candied orange, pistachios, and chocolate taking it over the holiday top.  Luckily I squirreled away some dough in the freezer (the beauty of slice-and-bake cookies) that will be lovely on New Year’s Eve with a glass of bubbly!

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5 from 1 vote

Orange, Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread

From NYTcooking, a buttery shortbread studded with candied orange, pistachios, and chocolate perfect for the holidays!
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Dark chocolate, orange, pistachios, Shortbread
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling Time 8 hours

Ingredients

Flour Mixture

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (375 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal or 1/2 t table salt

Butter Mixture

  • 1-1/4 cups unsalted butter (284 grams) at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (175gms) 175gms =
  • 1 large egg yolk

Add-Ins

  • 1/2 cup candied orange peel (76 grams) roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup shelled unsalted pistachios (76 grams) roughly chopped
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped

Instructions

  • Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using an electric mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer), beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is pale in color, about 2 minutes, periodically scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula (don't skip this, it makes a difference). Add egg yolk and blend until combined.
  • Add flour mixture and mix on low until combined. If there are dried bits of flour left around the bowl, use a rubber spatula to smoosh them in with the dough. Add orange peel, pistachios and chopped chocolate, fold in with a rubber spatula. (The dough will be crumbly (although with the modifications, less so). If necessary, use the electric mixer to add the mix-ins, or work them in with your hands until fully incorporated.)
  • To form the cookies, line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with plastic wrap and leave a generous amount of overhang on all sides. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press firmly to flatten in an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill dough for 8 hours or overnight before baking.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Using the plastic wrap overhang, remove the dough from the pan and cut the square into three equal rectangles. It's going to be tough to get out of the pan but just be patient and pull gently on the plastic to gradually remove from pan.
  • Cut each rectangle crosswise into roughly 1⁄3-inch-thick slices and lay them flat on the prepared baking sheets, about 3⁄4-inch apart. (If the dough crumbles when slicing, simply push the mixture together to reform the cookie.) Bake until lightly golden on the bottom but still blonde on the edges, 15 to 17 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven, allow cookies to cool on the sheets. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Lasso Some Biscuits From Milk Bar (Ted Lasso Biscuits)

Lasso Some Biscuits From Milk Bar (Ted Lasso Biscuits)

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Yes, you are not seeing double, this is a different recipe for Ted Lasso’s biscuits! AND it’s a good one.  I am a Johnny come lately to Ted Lasso having ignored the initial buzz about the show until…

Biscuits with the Boss

…recipes and articles started popping up on the internet for Ted’s Biscuits.  That’s when I took notice.  The show is funny, endearing, cute, and a bit bawdy, just the escape we all need.  All that and biscuits, made it irresistible.

It seemed only fair that I try the “official” Ted Lasso Biscuit from Apple TV first.  The biscuits had a smooth texture, were a bit crumbly and not too sweet.  The second day brought out the buttery flavor making this a very respectable shortbread biscuit. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. I would make these again, say, if I didn’t have eggs for Christina Tosi’s version or if I wanted an easier, simpler, cookie.

I have been a fan of Christina Tosi for a long, long times since her days at Momofuku.  Her Corn Cookies, Crack Pie and Compost Cookies are iconic.  Soooo, when she posted her version of Ted’s Biscuits, yeah, I ran not walked  to my kitchen and got busy.

Tosi’s version is more typical of a shortbread recipe, beat the butter and sugar just until smooth and creamy, not fluffy.  Atypical are the addition of egg yolks to the batter.  This adds fat and moisture to the cookies making them softer, moister than shortbread.  The powdered sugar lowers the protein for a tender cookie.  Adding a touch of brown sugar gives the cookie a caramel finish.  The cookie is rich, buttery, with a super fine, tight crumb almost like a dense pound cake.

The addition of egg yolks makes for a soft dough. Try not to overmix dough, I stopped mixing once the dough starting clumping.  Press the dough into the pan.  You can dampen your hand which helps with the stickiness.  Use an offset spatula to smooth the top.

It isn’t necessary to line the pan with parchment, but I did, it’s easier to remove from the pan.  The baking temperature varied on different sites between 315 and 325 degrees.  At 325 degrees, the cookies were ready in 35 minutes.  Force of habit, I docked the dough with a fork for even baking. Unlike traditional shortbread, during baking, the holes disappeared, probably due to the egg yolks.  Docking shortbread allows steam to escape, no bubbles, and even baking, is it necessary with this recipe, not sure.

During baking, the top of the dough forms a shiny, golden brown layer, the edges will be a deeper brown.  Completely cool the cookies before cutting.  The texture is soft, and cutting was not a problem.  Cut cookies out to desired size and shape, rectangle or square.  I divided the dough into 3 then cut each third into 8-9 rectangular cookies.  Perfect pink box size.  Make these cookies now.

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Ted Lasso Biscuits

Christina Tosi’s version of Ted Lasso Biscuits. It’s a winner!
Course bar cookies, cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword biscuits, Shortbread, ted lasso
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks softened
  • 1 ⅓ cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 ¾ cup All purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp scant kosher salt

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 325F Line a 8x8” baking dish with parchment, grease pan
  • Using a mixer, beat butter, sugars and salt together on medium speed until smooth and creamy
  • Stir in the egg yolks
  • Add the flour and mix just until the dough just comes together. Do not over mix.
  • Press dough into an even layer in the pan. The dough will be sticky, dampen hands (just a bit) to press dough in. Spread and level dough with an offset spatula. Dock dough with a fork 2 inches apart.
  • Bake at 325F for 35 minutes or until a thin, golden brown layer forms on top.
  • Cool completely before cutting into 3 rows. Cut each row into 8 pieces.

Notes

Can be baked at 315 degrees for 45 min  or until golden brown
“Lassoed” Into Making “Biscuits” (Shortbread)

“Lassoed” Into Making “Biscuits” (Shortbread)

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In the Queen’s Language, Cookies are Biscuits

I LOVE Shortbread cookies and have quite a few recipes on 3jamigos that are shortbread-centric.  I live by the motto “more butter, more better”.   Food52 shared the recipe for biscuits from the Ted Lasso show, of course I made them. It was a no-brainer, an automatic cookie bucket list entry.  In fact, it was The “biscuits” that enticed me to watch the show.  Up to that point, Ted Lasso was not even on my radar despite friends and family buzzing about it.   Well, I started watching Ted Lasso and the buzz is justified.  Optimistic, empathetic, decent and endearing, qualities we seemed to be in short supply of these days.  Ted Lasso is the perfect escape and the biscuits are pretty darn good too.

The Premise

American football coach goes to England to coach FOOTBALL. LOL

Biscuits with the Boss

Each day Ted brings a box of biscuits (cookies) to his boss, Rebecca.  A  tiny pink box filled with buttery goodness.  Scrumptious biscuits, solid acting, a funny storyline, and Jason Sudekis, 🍿🍿🍿🍿.

The recipe is the “official one” provided by Apple TV, the distributor of Ted Lasso.  There are other “me too” recipes out there (that of course I am going to try) like Christina Tosi’s version, but I figured this was a good place to start. These are essentially shortbread cookies.  Did I like them?  Yes.  Do I think they are the be-all-end-all?  Probably not.

My absolute favorite Shortbread is from an essay in Cuisine Magazine (sadly gone), “My Father’s Shortbread”.   A Classic Scottish Shortbread–buttery, sandy texture, nice crumb, melts in your mouth and yet has some substance to the bite.  It is the cornerstone of every holiday box of cookies we give out at Christmas. It is my be-all-end-all shortbread.

My second favorite is Bouchon’s Shortbread, tender, melt in your mouth, screams butter.  It is a beautiful cookie.  A little sweeter from the dusting of sanding sugar on the cookie.

Back to Ted

Don’t get me wrong.  I will make Ted’s Biscuits again.  They have a smoother texture than classic shortbread and a softer bite.  I’m guessing it has to do with beating the butter much longer than the other shortbread recipes, the addition of powdered sugar and baking at a higher temperature than classic shortbread.  The crumb is much more uniform so you don’t get that same sandy texture.

The cookies are baked in an 8 inch pan and cut after they are cooled.  Start checking at about 40 minutes during baking.  My batch turned a nice golden brown at 45 minutes.  Cool cookies on a rack.  The cookies are cut after they cool.  Use a sharp serrated knife to keep the cuts clean and minimize breaking.  I’m not sure why they aren’t cut warm, I might try that next time.

The cookie tastes better the next day, the butter flavor shines when given the chance to sit.  Patience has its rewards.

So if you are sitting down to watch Ted Lasso, make a batch of any of these biscuits.  It will make the show that much more fun and enjoyable.  If you are like Ted, have a cup of coffee not a cup of garbage water (according to Ted).  Me, I would love a steaming hot cup of tea.

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Ted Lasso's Biscuits (Shortbread)

Ted’s a simple man as are his biscuits. A classic, buttery shortbread.
Course biscuits, cookies
Cuisine American, European
Keyword butter, cookies, Shortbread, ted lasso
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Sanding sugar optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300℉
  • Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and set it aside
  • Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter for three to five minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar.
  • Add flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.
  • Press into baking pan, keeping the dough as even as possible. I use an offset spatula and a tamper to even out the dough. Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes in the refrigerator before baking.
  • Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until it looks golden-brown but is still a little soft to the touch. Take the pan out of the oven. Sprinkle with sanding sugar now if using. Let it cool completely on a rack before cutting them.
  • Remove from pan and use a serrated knife to cut slices to the dimensions you like. Ted cut his into squares, I cut mine into rectangle shape like Walker Shortbread. Go find some cute pink boxes too!
Breton_Style Palets (Buttercup Babies)

Breton_Style Palets (Buttercup Babies)

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The release of Dorie Greenspan’s new cookbook guilted me into getting on the J-O-B and writing this post.  It seems like only a nanosecond ago I made them when actually, the recipe for these Breton-Style Palets is from her newsletter a couple of months ago.  At the time, I posted a pic of these delicious morsels on IG.  The caption of course read, ‘notes, coming soon on 3Jamigos.  I do abuse the ambiguity of the word “soon” a little too frequently.

Without Further Ado

Breton-Style Palets.  Ah, one bite had me singing “Smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover, breaking into my heart like that”.  A tender buttery cookie that sits at the intersection of shortbread and Madeleine.  An absolute delight, not too sweet with a little pop of salt in each bite.

These cookies are very straightforward with a genius tweak from Dorie.  First, start with great butter, this is the cornerstone of these cookies, no skimping.  The other essential ingredients are flour, and powdered sugar, which tenderizes the cookie and gives it that sweet kick. Egg yolks which add another layer of richness, and finally, salt, for that burst of contrast at the end.  According to Dorie, you can add vanilla and or citrus zest, but I’m a purist, I didn’t.

If you start with soft, NOT melted butter, you can actually make these cookies by hand with a bowl and wooden spoon.  I used a mixer, being very careful not to overbeat the butter or the dough after adding the flour.  Overmixing the butter adds too much air.  Aim for a smooth and creamy mixture, NOT light and fluffy.  Over-beating the dough after adding the flour, develops the gluten creating one tough cookie.  So a light hand peeps.

Logging In with Dough Boi

The dough is very soft and sticky after mixing.  I leave the dough in the mixing bowl, press Saran Wrap on top, and chill it for 30-60 minutes before shaping it into a roll.  It makes life easier, trust me.  Take the dough out of the fridge and shape it into 2 logs about 6 inches long, wrap,  and then throw those bad boys into your freezer for at least two hours.  When they are thoroughly chilled, it is “slice and bake” time.

Don’t look too closely, this roll is not the butter babies of this post.  It is here to illustrate how to make a slice and bake roll round.  Roughly shape your dough into “a just short of” the size log you want. Place the dough on parchment or wax paper ( a large enough piece to surround the dough and then some), fold it over the roll, place a straight edge on top of the parchment, tucked right into the bottom part of the roll.  Hold onto the bottom edge of the parchment and pull while simultaneously pushing on your straight edge.  This creates pressure and forces the dough to form a nice round log, ta-da.  Why didn’t I make a video?  That would have been so much easier.

The Dorie Move

Here come the Dorie pearls of baking wisdom and technique.  This is a soft dough, which will spread when baking.  So to get those perfectly round, lovely cookies, Dorie bakes the slices of dough in a muffin tin, that’s right Buttercup, in a cupcake pan. Genius!  Beautiful, perfectly round, how did you do that-cookies.

Now go and make these cookies, they are a ray of sunshine to combat the coming winter weather.  Come back to this blog when you’re done, by then I will have posted Dorie’s Caramel  Chocolate Chunk Cookies baked in that very same cupcake pan you used for these cookies…  You’re welcome.

*Hmmm, made the Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies yesterday night, they were not up to expectations so I’ll have to tinker with the recipe a little…Stay tuned!

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Dorie Breton-Style Palets

Another delicious cookie from Dorie Greenspan in the shortbread camp. Buttery, tender, slightly sweet, with a sprinkling of salt for that Breton signature.
Course cookies, shortbread
Cuisine American, French
Keyword butter, cupcake tin, Dorie Greenspan, salt, Shortbread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 213 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 ounces very soft (but not oily) unsalted butter 226 grams
  • 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, sieved or sifted 90 grams
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt to taste
  • 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, optional

Instructions

  • Whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda together; set aside.
  • In an electric mixer on low-medium speed or with a flexible spatula (if your butter is soft and creamy, the dough is very easy to make by hand), beat the butter, sugar and salt together until very smooth. If you’re using a mixer, go easy – try not to beat air into the mixture. One by one, add the yolks and beat to blend. Beat in the vanilla, if you’re using it.
  • Add the dry ingredients in two additions, beating each until just incorporated. The dough will be soft and sticky. Cover dough with Saran Wrap and chill for 30-60 minutes.
  • Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a log that’s about 5 1/2 to 6 inches long (get the length and the width will be fine). Freeze the logs for at least 2 hours.
  • Just before cutting and baking, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. The rack should be in the center of the oven.
  • Working with one log at a time, unwrap the log and score it so that you can cut 12 rounds. If a round cracks or slivers when you cut it, just press the pieces back into shape. Drop each slice into each cupcake hole of a standard-size muffin tin.
  • Bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes – rotating the tin front to back after 10 minutes. Bake until the cookies are beautifully golden around the edges and just firm to the touch in the centers. Remove the tin from the oven and place on a rack, carefully run a knife around the edge to loosen each cookie, invert the pan onto a cooling rack to release them. The cookies are very fragile, so be gentle with them. Cool to room temperature on racks before serving.

Notes

Storing: Packed in a covered container, the cookies will keep for at least a week.
Alfajores (Bells Rang for this Cookie)

Alfajores (Bells Rang for this Cookie)

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I found the cookie of my dreams at a family wedding a couple of years ago.  Strolling around the reception, waiting for the happy couple to arrive, I grabbed a glass of bubbly and gravitated towards the table of sweets,  a dazzling array of desserts.

In the center of the table was an amazing assortment of cookies.  I chose the sugar cookie sheep, so cute I couldn’t resist. In fact, too cute to eat so I chose a second cookie, a petite round sandwich cookie covered with powdered sugar.  I popped one in my mouth.

Wowza, Score One for the Round Cookie

HELLOOOO…little cute as a button sandwich cookie. Where have you been all my life?  Tender, light, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth crumb with a rich-brown lovely caramel sandwiched in between. The rest of the wedding festivities were a blur as I fixated on the cookie, just kidding, it was a very nice celebration. I did eat as many cookies as I could, lol.  I stealthily circulated the room casually asking, friends and relatives about the cookies.  Ok, I’m lying…nothing stealth or casual about my inquisition.  I learned the cookies were made by the bride’s aunt who had lived in South America for a while.  The cookies were her version of Alfajores which originated in Spain and made its way to many Latin countries.  A tender shortbread-like cookie filled with caramelized milk and sugar mixture known as Dulce de Leche.  So good.

Yep, made by the bride’s aunt!  I had an “in”.  I was wowed, they were so damn good and she made enough cookies for 300+ people.  This put me squarely in the Auntie Hall of Shame.

It did take 5 years to finally get the recipe from her.  I badgered my niece occasionally to no avail (in her defense, she was pretty busy).  Finally, at her baby shower a couple of weeks ago, gracing the dessert table, a tray of cute sheep and Alfajores-ahhh, those lovely cookies, again.

Lucky for me her aunt was there and I POLITELY (I accosted her) asked for the recipe.  She proceeded to rattle it off the top of her head ending with, “it’s the orange rind that really adds to the cookie, don’t forget it”.

Thank you, Auntie

This is actually a pretty simple cookie. Unlike many recipes for Alfajores, no egg in it. It’s flour, sugar in the form of powdered sugar, butter, salt, and a touch of orange rind.  The powdered sugar lowers the protein content creating a tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookie.

The other component is the Dulce de Leche.  You could buy ready-made dulce de leche but what fun is that?  You could also make your own by cooking sweetened condensed milk, in the can, in a water bath.  This is simple but takes hours, and the remote chance of the can exploding loomed in my mind.  So I made my Dulce de Leche in the microwave.  Worked like a charm but it did have some stumbling blocks.

What You Need

A can of sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces) and a VERY LARGE microwavable bowl.  The milk will bubble and boil over if your bowl is too small, yep, exactly what happened to me.  Use a 2.5-quart bowl.  I recently bought microwave ware, Anyday Cookware, which I love, but the bowl was not quite big enough to avoid overflow.

Liquid Gold

The entire process takes 12-15 minutes.  In roughly 2 minute intervals you zap the mixture, remove stir and nuke again.  The mixture will bubble and then caramelize leaving you with liquid gold aka Dulce de Leche.  It will thicken as it cools down, but you do want a nice deep brown color and it shouldn’t be runny to avoid the “ooze factor” in a sandwich cookie. Use oven mitts, stir and let it cool.  You can spoon the filling onto the cookies or use a piping bag to fill the cookies. If you like butter & caramel flavor, you are going to love these cookies.

There you have it, the cookie of my dreams.  Make a batch, I guarantee it will put a smile on your face.

The finishing touch is optional but nice, roll the edge of the cookie in shredded coconut. Delicious.

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Alfajores

A classic cookie found in many Latin American countries. A tender, buttery cookie with Dulce de Leche, caramelized sweetened milk filling.
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine Latin America, Spanish
Keyword Alfajores, cookies, dulce de leche
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cookie

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened 2 sticks
  • 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 t salt
  • Orange zest from 1/2 orange
  • 1 teaspoon vailla extract or paste optional
  • finely shredded coconut, unsweetened preferred but sweetened is ok too

Dulce de Leche

  • 1-14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
  • Pinch of kosher salt or Fleur de Sel
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon optional

Instructions

Cookie

  • Combine flour and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Zest orange.
  • Cream together butter and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy looking, should not get to the light and fluffy stage. Add orange zest, and vanilla if using, stir to incorporate.
  • Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, beat on low speed. Once the flour is incorporated, stop, do not overbeat. Remove dough from the bowl, shape into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Flatten the ball into a disc about 1 inch thick. Chill for at least an hour.
  • Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, I use a 2 inch fluted cutter, cut out rounds of dough and place 1 inch apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
  • If dough seems soft at any time, re-chill.
  • Bake at 340 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until the edges just begin to color on the edges. They should be pale color. Remove and place on a rack to cool completely.
  • Once the dulce de leche is cold, fill a piping bag or use teaspoons to place dulce de leche on bottom side of half of the cookies. Use approximately 1 teaspoon of filling.
  • Top filled cookies with the remaining cookies and gently press to distribute filling. You want it to come to the very edge of the cookie. Roll edge of cookie in finely shredded coconut if you want. Dust both sides of cookies with powdered sugar.
  • Filled cookies can be kept for a couple of days at room temperature or in the fridge a little longer. The moisture in the dulce de leche will soften the cookies with time. If you want to make them ahead, don't fill them until you are ready to serve.

Dulce de Leche (Adapted from Food.com)

  • Microwave directions:
  • You will need a 2-1/2 quart microwave bowl for this recipe. If you don’t have one that big, make half at a time. Trust me on this unless you like having caramel all over your microwave.
  • Pour sweetened condensed milk into bowl. If you have a vented lid, put it on. If not, cover bowl with plastic wrap and poke a couple of holes in it so the steam can escape.
  • The gold standard will be a 1000 watt microwave, adjust accordingly.*
  • Set microwave to 50% power and microwave milk for 2 minutes. If you are adding the salt and cinnamon, add it now.
  • Remove, (use oven mitts please!) Stir and put it back in the microwave. Then nuke at half power in two and a half minute intervals, stirring in between each time, for a total of ten minutes. As you cook the milk, it will boil, expel steam and gradually turn a nice rich brown. Keep in mind, you will need a pretty thick sauce for the cookies. You may need to nuke the milk for another 2-3 minutes. You want a deep rich brown. It will thicken a little as it cools.
  • *If you have a 1200 watt microwave, set it at 40%. I have a tiny 600 watt microwave so I set the power at 60%.
  • The Other Method:
  • Requires a lot more time. First, remove the paper label from the can and place it in a heavy duty pot on its side. Fill pot with enough water to cover the can by 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil and reduce heat so the water is at a simmer.
  • Make sure the water level stays 2 inches over the can at all times!!!!!! Or the can might explode!!!! Why I use the microwave method, lol. This method comes from Serious Eats.
  • Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer milk for 2-3 hours CHECKING WATER LEVEL EVERY 30 MINUTES. Add hot water as needed. 2 hours will give you a golden caramel while 3 hours will yield a deep, dark caramel.
  • Remove can from water. Allow the can to cool completely before opening, about 4 hours.
Jest Jammin’ (Christmas Cookies)

Jest Jammin’ (Christmas Cookies)

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I remarked to hubby the other day, “I ‘ve been pretty bad about baking holiday treats the last few years, huh”.  It was a rhetorical question as I pulled out more than a few jars of expired jams.  I love filled cookies-Thumbprints, Linzer bars, Raspberry Oaties so I have a penchant for stocking up on “stuff” like preserves, sprinkles, holiday cupcake liners…in preparation for the holiday season.

Somehow I curtailed my cookie baking tradition a “few” years ago.  Homemade granola and Candied Spiced Pecans were so much easier.  I finally resurrected the cookie baking last year.  I eased my way back with an assortment of slice and bake cookies (check out my index for slice and bakes!) but this year, as I guiltily tossed several jars of raspberry preserves, I exclaimed…

JAM IT, I’m baking filled cookies this year!

So without further ado, here is the line-up for this year’s holiday cookie jam-stravaganza.

Cranberry Cherry Ribbon Cookies– Sweet-tart cranberry cherry jam sandwiched between buttery shortbread.  I hope Nancy Baggett doesn’t mind, I construct these cookies differently than in her All American Cookie Book- this one is for you, Joe B. (Recipe link soon!)

Raspberry Cheesecake Thumbprints– Good, but I’d make my Thumbprints instead if you like walnuts, or Emeril’s Thumbprints that have a hint of citrus. Yummers.

Dorie’s Jammers – filled with recently bought jams (strawberry, peach and cherry) from Sunblest Orchards. Dorie, my baking hero.

Pineapple Pockets – Flo Bracker’s Sweet Miniatures.  Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookie with a little scoop of caramelized pineapple jam.  Mele Kalikimaka!

Not jam-filled but a holiday imperative I make these

Eric Kim’s Grocery Store Cookie– These cookies make me happy!  I don’t even like the supermarket ones, but these?  Make them now, you’ll thank me.   A soft, tender cake-like vanilla cookie with hot pink raspberry frosting-SO DELICIOUS. Here is his video on making these little smiles. Recipe with my notes posted thru link.  Shhh, don’t tell NYT cooking.  I subscribe-it’s all good.

Traditional Scottish Shortbread-because it’s my favorite and if I’m making cookies, I’m making these.  Looks are deceiving, they are scrumptious.

Pecan Tartlets-not a jam but it is a filled cookie and oh so good. Hubby would disavow me if I didn’t make them.

Yes, this is my holiday cookie run-down.  Any of these would make an awesome sweet treat to ring in the New Year, kick 2020 to the curb and usher in 2021.  But don’t just bake them during the holidays, make them for Ground Hog Day, Valentine’s Day, MY birthday, YOUR birthday, because it’s Tuesday. Anytime you want to make someone smile.  Jamie made Sally’s Baking Addiction Best Sugar Cookies for the delicious beauties below!

Or For A Great Cause!

Happy Holidays
Tall Order for a Better Shortbread-Bien Cuit Bakery

Tall Order for a Better Shortbread-Bien Cuit Bakery

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I love shortbread and any excuse to bake a batch, I am all there.  So when Amanda Hesser posted an article on a favorite shortbread that graced their office meetings, all I could think was, do I have butter in the fridge?

Duh, of course.

The title of her article, The World’s Best Shortbread Is No Longer Sold-but We Got The Recipe.

Whaat? World’s Best?  This was added incentive to make a batch.  After all, I think I already have the perfect Shortbread.  An essay entitled “My Father’s Shortbread” found long ago in Cuisine magazine was both a tribute to the author’s Scottish father and his recipe for shortbread.  It has been the cornerstone of my annual holiday cookie platter for more years than I can remember.  Bouchon’s Shortbread is similar in texture and flavor to my favorite and is my runner up.  Can Amanda’s best these? I’ll let you be the judge.

Update 10/2023:  Yes, I love shortbread and two additional recipes I have tried that are very similar to this shortbread are Ted Lasso’s Biscuits with the Boss.  Both are delightful, Christina Tosi’s and Apple TV’s (the producer of Ted Lasso).

Let’s get busy…

shortbread dough 1

The dough comes together easily.  The dry ingredients are blended briefly in a mixer and pieces of cold butter are added and mixed at low speed just until the dough comes together.  Do not overmix.

Press the dough evenly into a PARCHMENT lined 9×13 baking pan. The parchment should hang over the sides. Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight.  The parchment will make it easier to remove the cookies after baking.

The dough should be about 3/8 inch thick. Total baking time for my batch was 50 minutes, so start checking early and rotate pan at the halfway mark.  You want a nice golden brown.  Sprinkle the Demerara Sugar on the cookie as soon as the pan comes out of the oven.  It will adhere better.  At the 5 minute mark when I tried removing the shortbread from the pan, it cracked as the parchment gave way.  Next time I might try cutting the cookies in the pan, letting it cool and then removing them.  They’re a bit fragile so you may lose a couple while removing it from the pan.  Lucky you, you get to eat those pieces.

I will admit, they’re pretty good.  The biggest difference is the use of powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar.  Powdered sugar has cornstarch and lowers the protein content of the dough.  This creates a less dense, softer cookie.  It has the prerequisite buttery flavor, but the texture is different.  The sprinkling of sugar (use Demerara or Turbinado) on the top gives these cookies a nice crunch. I love that crisp resistance you get when you bite into a classic shortbread cookie, the sugar gives that crunch. Next time I’ll try European butter to up my butter game.  After rereading Ms. Hesser’s article, with the low baking temperature, I probably could have left the cookies in for a bit longer.  This might have added some crispness and flakiness without the shortbread getting too dark.

A steaming cup of coffee or tea and a few of these biscuits make for a lovely afternoon break.  Turning on Downton Abbey would make it perfect!  Update: 10/2023 If not Downton Abbey, Ted Lasso would be a great watch!

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Bien Cuit Shortbread

Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword Shortbread
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 302 grams unsalted butter
  • 93 grams confectioners' sugar
  • 3.5 grams kosher salt
  • 302 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 cup regular or raw sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Line a 13x9-inch baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper.
  • Cut the cold butter and reserve at room temperature to temper slightly.
  • Mix the confectioners’ sugar, salt, and flour in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for a few seconds to combine the dry ingredients.
  • Add the cubed butter and mix on low speed until a smooth dough is formed and butter is fully incorporated.
  • At first, the dough will look extremely flaky and dry; let it keep mixing and it will eventually come together into a dough.
  • Dump the dough into the baking sheet ordish and spread it evenly to the corners. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
  • The next day, heat the oven to 300°Dock the dough every inch or so with a fork. Bake until the shortbread is golden brown, 60-75 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn the shortbread out onto a cutting board, and slice into 4-inch x ¾-inch slices. Sprinkle with raw sugar and transfer to a baking rack to cool completely. Store in airtight containers.

Notes

From a commenter on the original recipe:  
I went to King Arthur Flour's website. They have a list of ingredient conversion and I trust them, so here's what they say:
302 grams butter = 1 1/3 cup (2 2/3 sticks)
93 grams unsifted confectioner's sugar = .8 cups (a bit more than 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon)
3.5 grams diamond crystal salt = 1 tsp on my kitchen scale (Canning salt, which has a very similar texture to table salt, comes out to 1/2 tsp)
302 grams flour = 2 1/2 cups (I'm betting this is sifted but I'm not sure)

 

 
Ladies and Gentlemen, This is Cookie Number 5 (Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookies)

Ladies and Gentlemen, This is Cookie Number 5 (Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookies)

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One of my favorite baking goddesses (I have many) is Alice Medrich. Yes, that Alice, Chocolate Maven, Dessert Queen and creator of quite possibly the best damn lemon bars ever. Don’t get me started on her Snickerdoodles, so good.  Cookie number 5 is from her book, Pure Desserts, a shortbread cookie with a twist-Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookies.

If you have been following 3jamigos you know that I fall in the shortbread camp for my favorite type of cookie. Buttery goodness in bite-size morsels with a hint of sweetness, sign me up.  Well lucky me, this cookie falls in that camp-buttery, slightly sweet, tender, nice sandy texture, and a cool, slightly bluish brown hue.  The cookies get kicked up a notch with the addition of cocoa nibs. This adds a subtle hint of chocolate at the finish. The color and slight earthiness from the buckwheat and the “is it chocolate or isn’t it?” from the nibs, are a cookie mindblower.

So if you are looking for a shortbread that is a little different but still buttery delicious, put this one on your list.

Bonus: Easy to make.

Do not overbeat when creaming the butter and sugar which will incorporate too much air into the dough (I might have done this which accounts for the puffiness and soft edges).  The mixture should be smooth and creamy.  Add flour and beat until it comes together, don’t overmix.

The dough can be shaped into a log, chilled and finished as slice and bake cookies.  The dough can be stored in the fridge or freezer so you have freshly baked cookies when family and friends drop by.  Everyone will think you are a badass baking queen.

Or you can get fancy-schmancy and roll out the dough and cut out cookies for a more festive look.  Put the dough in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and roll to the edges.  This will give you a sheet of dough about 1/4 inch thick, perfect for cutout cookies.  I used a fluted metal cutter which may work better than a plastic one as you have to cut through the nibs. To add festive bling, sprinkle the cookies with sanding sugar and a touch of flake salt (like Maldon) before baking.  That takes these cookies to the “bend and snap” (Legally Blond-remember?) level of attention.

Chill the dough after cutting out the cookies, the edges won’t spread as much. I was having oven issues so the edges ended up less defined. But still yummy!

Okay, not hooked yet? Still looking for a classic shortbread, try this one,  my favorite traditional Scottish Shortbread or Bouchon’s Shortbread.

Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookies

Buckwheat with Cocoa Nibs Shortbread
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Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookie

A delicious riff on shortbread, buckwheat flour and cocoa nibs take these cookies to a new level.
Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword NIbby Buckwheat Butter Cookies
Author Adapted from 101 Cookbooks (Alice Medrich)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups 5.6 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup 3 ounces buckwheat flour
  • 1/2 pound 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup cacao nibs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Whisk the all-purpose and buckwheat flours together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, with the back of a large spoon or with an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar and salt for about 1 minute, until smooth and creamy but not fluffy. Mix in the nibs and vanilla. Add the flours and mix just until incorporated. Scrape the dough into a mass and, if necessary, knead it with your hands a few times, just until smooth.
  • Form the dough into a 12 by 2 inch log. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or, preferably overnight. Or place dough in a gallon ziploc and roll to the edges of the bag.  Dough will be about 1/4 inch thick.  Chill thoroughly before cutting out shapes.  These cookies do puff and expand a bit so also chill dough after cutting to ensure crisp edges. 
  • Position the racks in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Use a sharp knife to cut the cold dough log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the cookies at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets.* Or follow instructions for cut-out cookies.
  • Optional:  Sprinkle cookies with a bit of sanding sugar and an even tinier bit of flake salt like Maldon before baking.
  • Bake until the cookies are just beginning to color at the edges, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet from front to back halfway through the baking. 
  • Cool the cookies in the pans on a rack, or slide the parchment liners carefully onto the rack to free up the pans. Let cool completely.

Notes

The cookies are delicious fresh but even better the next day. They can be stored in an airtight container for at least one month. My batch made about 30 3-inch cookies. Recipe states approximately 48 2-1/2 inch cookies.
Strawberry Vanilla Shortbread Day 4 Holiday Cookies

Strawberry Vanilla Shortbread Day 4 Holiday Cookies

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Day 4 of the 12 Days of Cookies is a keeper.

I LOVE shortbread, it is hands down my all-time favorite cookie.  During the holidays I usually bake a batch of classic Scottish Shortbread.  This year, I am adding Strawberry Vanilla Shortbread Cookies from Use Real Butter to the rotation. Sweet strawberries and a hefty dose of vanilla add a one-two punch to a buttery, tender cookie. I made a batch and the fam scarfed them down in no time flat.

I almost didn’t try this recipe. The first part of Jen’s post is a how-to on drying strawberries.  It’s winter, where am I going to find fresh sweet strawberries to dry?  Not happening in my house, even if it’s the height of strawberry season, I’m way too lazy.  Luckily, at the very end of the instructions, she adds “If this is too much of a pain…you can always grab a bag of freeze-dried strawberries at Trader Joe’s.  Bingo, I am all over that idea.

I should have cut the strawberry pieces smaller for better distribution.  I used vanilla paste in place of the pods and part of the extract.  Once the dough is made, place it in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and roll the dough flat using the Ziploc border to create a square.  You can also shape the dough into a log for slice and bake cookies.

I used a fluted cookie cutter, chilled the dough to help keep its shape.  It was a little tough cutting through the bits of strawberries but still doable.

This is an absolutely delicious cookie.  If you like buttery, sweet-tart strawberry, and vanilla, bake this cookie.

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Strawberry Vanilla Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup 3.5 oz. or 100g powdered sugar
  • 2 vanilla beans split and seeds scraped
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp of vanilla paste can be subbed for the pods and reduce extract to 1/2 tbsp
  • 1 tbsp Grand Marnier or orange liqueur
  • 2 cups 9 oz. or 260g all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup 4 oz. or 115g chopped dried strawberries (recipe below) or 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries

Instructions

  • Beat the butter with a paddle attachment until smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar to butter and beat on medium speed until blended.
  • Add the vanilla bean seeds (use the pods for something else) or vanilla paste, vanilla extract, and Grand Marnier to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
  • Mix the flour and salt into the butter mixture until the flour is absorbed and no dry flour remains.
  • Stir the chopped strawberries into the dough. Scrape the dough into a gallon-size ziploc bag and roll flat with a rolling pin until the dough fills the bag in an even layer.
  • Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. When the dough is chilled, peel off the plastic and slice the dough into desired shapes or use a cookie cutter (circles show the least deformation) and re-roll scraps to use again.
  • Arrange your raw cookies 1.5 inches from each other on the baking sheet and dock them (prick them) with a fork three times across each cookie.
  • Bake 16-20 minutes (18 minutes worked well for me) until the bottoms are golden. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

Notes

Makes about 36 2-inch round cookies or 42 1.5-inch square cookies.