Buttermintshortbread Recipes

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Remove from the oven and immediately cut into squares or rectangles. Cool completely before removing from pan. If using, dust with powdered sugar.
• Enjoy!

IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low, slowly add flour. Continue mixing until dough comes together to form a ball.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface; roll out dough to about 1/4-inch thickness, dusting rolling pin with flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Using a 2 1/4-inch round, fluted cutter, cut out dough. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart. Gather up any scraps, gently re-roll, and repeat cutting process. Take care not to overwork dough.
• Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until shortbread just begins to turn golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Shortbread may be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

MELT - IN - YOUR - MOUTH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Whip butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in the confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Beat on low for one minute, then on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Drop cookies by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Watch that the edges don't brown too much. Cool on wire racks.

BEST TRADITIONAL SHORTBREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well about 2-3 minutes. Stir in vanilla.
• Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt whisking to mix; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed after each addition. (Mixture will be stiff and may be crumbly)
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 8-10 times.
• Press dough into an un-greased 11x7 or 9x9 pan (if doubling, use a 15x10 in jellyroll pan, parchment lined if desired for easier removal).
• Prick dough at 1-inch intervals with a fork, and score (cut) into 2 ½ x 1 inch bars. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Make sure to chill, this will firm the butterfat back up allow for that delectable light, crisp crumb you get with Scottish Shortbread. If desired, sprinkle with all natural sugar or sanding sugar before baking.
• Bake at 325F degrees for 35 minutes, until set and lightly browned. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes; cut shortbread into bars using previously scored lines. Cool completely before removing from pan. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 6 months. This recipe easily doubles!

OLD-FASHIONED BUTTER MINTS

Steps:

• To the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and salt and beat for 1 minute on medium-high speed.
• Add 3 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, milk, peppermint, and beat on medium-low speed until a dough forms. If the dough seems wet, add additional confectioners' sugar until dough combines (I use 3 1/2 cups sugar). The dough will be crumbly but will come together when pinched and squeezed into a ball.
• Taste the batter. If you want a more intense mint flavor, add additional mint extract, to taste (see note below).
• Remove dough from the mixer, separate it into 1 to 4 smaller balls, and add one ball back into the mixer. Add the food coloring of your choice to the ball by squirting the droplets on top of the dough (careful when you turn on the mixer), and paddle on low speed until coloring is well-blended. Coloring will not blend completely into each and every speck of dough if examined extremely closely, but overall, mix until color is uniform. (I separated approximately two-thirds of the dough and made it green using about 15 drops green food coloring and made one-third of the dough red-pink by using about 7 drops red food coloring).
• Wash the mixing bowl and the paddle in between each color change and repeat until all the balls are colored.
• After the dough has been colored, either wrap it with plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to be rolled out later or roll it immediately.
• To shape the butter mints, place a golf-ball sized amount of dough in your hands and roll dough into long thin cylinders about 1 centimeter wide. Place cylinders on countertop and with a pizza cutter (or knife - be careful of your counter), slice cylinders into bite-sized pieces, approximately 1 centimeter long.
• Store mints in an airtight container in the refrigerator where they will keep for many weeks.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Grease an 8-by-8-inch brownie pan with butter and line the bottom and two sides with parchment. Set a rack in the lower-middle position of the oven and heat to 350 degrees.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and set on medium-high speed, beat the butter, brown sugar and salt until creamy, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula. Add the yolk and vanilla, and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cocoa, and mix until everything comes together, about 1 minute, stopping once during mixing to scrape down the paddle and the bowl.
• Scrape the dough into the prepared pan. Using an offset spatula and your hands, press the dough into the pan as evenly as possible. Use a fork to prick the dough all over. Bake until the shortbread smells chocolatey and feels set and dry, 30 to 35 minutes. Wash and dry the mixing bowl and set aside.
• Remove shortbread from oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees. Using the parchment, lift the cookies out of the pan onto a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
• Make the meringue: Pour water into a medium saucepan to come 1 1/2 inches up the sides and bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat.
• Whisk the egg whites, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer just to combine. Set the bowl over the simmering water (bowl should not touch water) and heat the egg mixture, stirring and scraping constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the sugar dissolves, the mixture is hot and steamy, and the temperature registers 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 4 to 6 minutes. (Be patient and cook the egg whites slowly so they don't curdle.)
• Return the bowl to the stand mixer, and whip the mixture until stiff and glossy, 5 to 7 minutes. Whip in the peppermint extract and scrape the meringue onto the shortbread.
• Evenly spread the meringue with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. If using liquid food coloring, add a few random drops onto the meringue. If using gel food coloring, use the tip of a toothpick to randomly dab the tiniest bit of food coloring onto the meringue. Using the tip of an offset spatula or spoon, swirl the color into the meringue, creating peaks and streaks.
• Bake on the wire rack set on the sheet pan until the meringue feels dry and crisp, about 2 hours. Turn off the oven and prop open the door with a wooden spoon. Allow the cookies to cool in the oven, about another hour. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the cookies into random pieces. The cookies will keep for 1 week stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan and line it with parchment paper so that the parchment extends up all sides of the pan.
• To make the shortbread layer: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter, sugar and salt together on medium speed until a grainy paste forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl and paddle. Add the egg yolk, vanilla and 1 teaspoon water and blend on medium until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the flour and mix on low until a crumbly dough forms; it will look dry and that's okay.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, breaking up any large pieces to evenly scatter the dough over the bottom. Use your hand to press the dough as evenly as possible into the pan. If the dough sticks to your fingers, moisten your hand with cool water. Use a fork to prick the dough all over the surface.
• Bake the shortbread until firm to the touch and golden brown (the edges may be a bit darker than the center), 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the pan on a rack until just warm before topping with the caramel layer, about 30 minutes.
• To make the caramel layer: Stir the cream, vanilla, coffee and salt together in a medium pot, preferably nonstick. Add the butter and caramels and melt over low heat, stirring continuously with a rubber spatula, until smooth, about 5 minutes; reduce the heat if the caramel begins bubbling. Immediately pour the caramel over the warm shortbread and smooth the top. The caramel will smooth and level as it cools. Allow to cool for about 2 hours before adding the final ganache layer.
• To make the chocolate layer: Combine the chocolate chips, cream and instant coffee if using in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 15 seconds. Stir about 5 seconds and continue heating in 15-second increments until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds total. Don't overcook the mixture; if small bits of chocolate remain just gently stir until they melt.
• Pour the chocolate ganache over the cooled caramel layer and smooth to the edges. Allow to set until firm, about 1 hour at room temperature or 30 minutes refrigerated.
• Use the overhanging parchment to lift the bars out. Slice into 16 squares and lightly sprinkle with flaky salt if using. The bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with greaseproof (parchment) paper. Sift the flour and rice flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix.
• Cut butter into pieces and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture begins to bind together. Knead into soft dough.
• Roll the dough into an 8 inch round (or for exact round, mold it in an 8 inch cake pan). Place on baking sheet. Using a fork, prick top and make tine marks along edge. Using a table knife, score top with wedge marks. (This is where it will break when cooled)
• Bake 45 minutes or until pale golden in color. Sprinkle a little superfine sugar over top and cool on baking sheet. Cut into wedges. Keeps for weeks in airtight tin.

BUTTERSCOTCH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, cornstarch and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in butterscotch chips and toffee bits. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until easy to handle., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. fluted round cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks. ,

MINT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and white sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the egg, then stir in the mint extract.
• Combine the flour and salt; stir into the sugar mixture.
• Add several of drops of food coloring until desired shade of green, mixing well.
• Roll into a log, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Slice into 1/4-inch slices and place on cookie sheets.
• Bake for 9 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly golden at the edges.
• Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
• Drizzle with melted white and/or dark chocolate if desired.