Caribbean Crunch Shortbread Recipes

CARIBBEAN CRUNCH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300°F.
• In ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan, mix cereal, peanuts, raisins and banana chips. In 1-quart saucepan, heat butter and honey over low heat until butter is melted. Stir in cinnamon and salt; pour over cereal mixture, tossing until evenly coated.
• Bake uncovered 10 minutes, stirring once. Stir in popcorn and coconut. Sprinkle with additional salt if desired. Store in airtight container.

CITRUS SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 12 1/2-inch baking sheet pan, line with parchment paper, and butter the paper.
• Finely grate the skin (zest) off all 3 clementines, making sure you peel only the orange skin and not the bitter white pith. Puree the zest with 1/4 cup of the sugar in a food processor until minced, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Whisk the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar on medium, until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add the clementine-sugar mixture and beat for another minute. While mixing on low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not overwork the dough. Transfer dough to prepared pan, spreading it out as evenly as possible. Cover with plastic wrap, then press and flatten using your hands over the top to smooth and even out the dough. Cut the dough into bars about 1 by 3 inches with a sharp knife, while still in the pan. Prick a decorative pattern in the shortbreads with a fork or a wooden skewer. Bake until golden, about 1 hour and 10 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes and then re-cut the bars along the previous cuts. Let cool completely on racks. Store the cookies in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
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CARIBBEAN RUM PUNCH

Steps:

• In a pitcher, combine lime juice, simple syrup, rum and orange juice. Add a few dashes of bitters and some grated nutmeg to taste. Serve chilled over ice.

THE BEST SHORTBREAD COOKIES FOUR WAYS

Steps:

• All of the shortbreads are made in the same manner using an electric mixer. If you're making a shortbread with two kinds of flour, whisk the flours together.
• Working in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, salt and zest, if using, together on medium speed until soft, creamy and homogenous, scraping the bowl as needed. One by one, beat in the yolks, followed by the vanilla.
• Turn off the mixer, add the flour(s) all at once and mix on low speed only until incorporated. If you've got wheat germ, chocolate or flax seeds or nuts, mix in now.
• Scrape the dough out onto the work surface and divide it in two; the dough will be soft and sticky. Put each piece on a sheet of parchment and cajole it into a log that's 6 to 6 1⁄2 inches long, tightening the log with the paper and twisting the ends. Refrigerate the logs for at least 3 hours (overnight is better) or freeze them for 2 hours. (The logs can be frozen for up 2 months; slice when they're still frozen. You might need to add a minute to the oven time.)
• When you're ready to bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
• Using a chef's knife, cut each log into 1⁄2-inch-thick rounds. Lay them out on the baking sheet, leaving about an inch between them.
• Bake, rotating the cookie sheet after 10 minutes, for 21 to 23 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and set. The cookies will still be soft, so leave them on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack and allowing them to cool to room temperature. DO AHEAD: The cookies can be packed in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for at least 5 days.

BUTTERCRUNCH TOFFEE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 and butter a 9-by-13-inch or 9-by-11-inch pan.
• Combine the flours and salt in a bowl; in another bowl cream the butter and sugars.
• Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, using a wooden spoon and your finger tips to work in the last of it, if needed.
• Work in the butterscotch chips and toffee bits, then spread the dough in the pan.
• Bake for 1 hour, then score into bars while hot.
• Let cool, then cut completely.

CHOCOLATE CHUNK SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate. , Shape into 1-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in confectioners' sugar. , Bake at 300° for 25-30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

CARIBBEAN CRUNCH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Beat butter, brown sugar, powdered sugar and salt in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in dried fruit.
• Shape dough into 14-inch log. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cut log ino 1/2 inch thick slices; place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 20-25 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
• Time to make includes 1 hour refrigeration time.