Simple Shortbread: One Recipe, Four Cookies. Christmas cookies are everywhere you look these days. This month, magazines have devoted entire issues to them, bloggers and bakers just wrapped a #cookieweek theme on Twitter and cookbooks such as the brand new Gourmet Cookie Book are inundating us with endless options for sweet, buttery goodness. Every year there is some new trend, some riff on a classic or old favorite, but it is rare that I am swayed. Sure, I try a few new cookie recipes every holiday season, but one variety that I am eternally devoted to are shortbread. No matter how busy I am during the weeks leading up to the holidays, I always make time for classic homemade shortbread. This simple combination of only four ingredients – flour, sugar, butter and salt – claims to be the best cookie out there and I tend to agree. If you are bored with the classic recipe, the good news for you is that there are many variations that you can make on the standard, as this type of cookie lends itself very genially to manipulation. Thumb Prints and Diamonds (1914) on IMDb: Movies, TV, Celebs, and more. In the last few hours I've seen THREE WBC brides post about this idea or something similar and I'm excited because I've been wanting to get my design finish. Boutique > Sold Items > Silver Rimmed Glass Serving Bowl Large Clear Glass Bowl Diamonds and Thumbprints. Vertical thumbprints with alternating notching and nailhead diamonds. Featuring a great group of ten (10) cut glass flat tumblers. The overall condition is very good. Custom fine fingerprint and handwriting jewelry as unique personalized Christmas holiday gifts. Here are directions for making four different varieties of cookies using the same dough. All are simple to make and don’t require the extra step of rolling dough and cutting shapes (although that is a fine option and the dough works well for that method too). Basic Vanilla Shortbread. Recipe by Ina Garten from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Makes about 4 dozen small shortbread. This recipe can be divided into four and a dozen of each variety of cookie made from the suggestions below, or you can make the entire batch into the shortbread of your choosing. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter- and- sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and bring everything together with your hands. Divide dough into four pieces and flatten slightly. Wrap each piece in plastic and chill OR prepare one of the shortbread cookie recipes below. Now, you can either roll the dough, cut out shapes and bake them into cookies, or try one (or all) of the four delicious variations below. One Recipe, Four Types of Cookies. Chocolate- Dipped Shortbread Diamonds. Press one quarter of the cookie dough into a 7. Pat down firmly. Using a small ruler and a sharp knife (as pictured above), cut dough diagonally into strips, and then from top to bottom, making about a dozen diamond- shaped cookies. Chill for 3. 0 minutes. Preheat the oven to 3. Bake for about 1. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate on low in the microwave and stir until smooth. Remove pan from oven and allow pan to cool slightly. Remove shortbread from pan using the parchment and place on a cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the shortbread into diamonds using the pre- made lines. Dip into melted chocolate until half- covered and place on a wire rack to set. Jam Shortbread Thumbprints. Jam or jelly of your choosing. Roll shortbread into 1- inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with your palm. Make a small indentation in the top of the cookie using your thumb or finger. Spoon about a 1/4 teaspoon of jam into the hole. Chill for 3. 0 minutes. Preheat the oven to 3. Bake for about 1. Russian Tea Cakes. Roll shortbread dough into 1/2 inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 3. Toss to coat. Place on a cooling rack and allow tea cakes to cool. Toss again in powdered sugar and store in a cool dry place. Lemon- Glazed Shortbread. Sprinkles or decoration of your choosing. Shape the dough into a log and roll to smooth the edges. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 3. Preheat the oven to 3. Unwrap the shortbread log and slice into 1/4 inch rounds (or thicker if you prefer) and place onto cookie sheet. Bake about 1. 0- 1. Cool. Mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add a few more drops of lemon juice if mixture is not runny enough. Spoon glaze onto cookies and add decorations, if desired. Allow icing to harden for several hours. Store in an airtight container. More Variations. This weekend I’ll be hosting my annual holiday cookie swap, one of the most anticipated events of the year; well, for me, anyway! I haven’t decided what I’m making yet, but it could very well be a classic shortbread or one of these livelier adaptations. Dried Fruit: Cherries, cranberries, and other dried fruits add wonderful textures and flavor to shortbread. Almond: Add 1/4 cup powdered almonds and 1 tsp almond extract to the creamed butter. Lemon: Add 2 teaspoons lemon zest and a few drops of lemon extract if desired. Experiment with all types of citrus. Ginger: Substitute brown sugar for the white sugar in basic recipe. To the flour mixture add 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and a pinch of cloves. Chocolate: Add . Dip cooked cookies in dark chocolate for an irresistible double- chocolate cookie. Espresso: Dissolve 2 tablespoons espresso powder in 1 teaspoon hot water. Add to creamed butter and sugar mixture before adding flour. Nuts: Add lightly toasted and chopped hazelnuts, pecans, or (insert your favorite nut variety here) to give a lovely texture and flavor to your shortbread. Herbs: Rosemary is spectacular when paired with lemon, as is lavender, so don’t rule out the spice & herb cabinet when creating your perfect shortbread. For meal ideas, menu planning and tips on getting dinner on the table, choose Plan to Eat. Do you have a favorite flavor of shortbread?
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