Chessman Shortbread Cookies Recipes

HOMEMADE CHESSMEN COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Mix in egg.
• Mix in milk.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together cornstarch, flour, and salt.
• Add dry ingredients to butter mixture a little bit at a time until it is all added. Keep mixing until the dough comes together and stops looking crumbly.
• Roll out dough to 1/4" thick.
• Use a springerle cookie mold lightly dusted with flour to stamp the cookies with a pattern.
• Cut the cookies out with a knife or a bench scraper and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Repeat until all the dough is used.
• Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for at least an hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Remove the cookie sheet and use a thick foam brush or simply a thick foam sponge (like you'd get at a makeup supply store) to paint egg yolk onto each cookie's image.
• Bake for 9 minutes or until the egg-washed portions of the cookies are a light caramel color.
• Set cookies out on a cooling rack to cool.

SCOTTISH SHARP-CHEDDAR SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Using electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat together butter, salt, black pepper, and cayenne at low speed just until blended. Add Cheddar and flour and mix at low speed just until smooth (do not overmix). Shape dough into disk, wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper, and chill 30 minutes.
• Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4- to 1/8-inch-thick round. Using 1 1/2- to 2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds and arrange 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Reroll scraps if desired (rerolled scraps will be tougher).
• Bake shortbread until lightly golden and beginning to brown on edges, about 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

SHORTBREAD CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; with a pastry cutter, chop in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir the rum extract and almond extract into the water in a small bowl. Mix into the dry ingredients, a little bit at a time, until the mixture holds together in a ball when you squeeze it.
• Place the dough onto a floured work surface, and sprinkle with flour; roll out into a sheet 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with floured cookie cutters, and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bake the cookies just until the edges are lightly browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool on sheets for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to finish cooling. Cool completely before decorating.
• For frosting, whisk the confectioners' sugar and milk in a bowl until smooth. If desired, divide frosting into small bowls, and tint each bowl a desired shade with food coloring. Frost fully cooled cookies, and sprinkle with edible glitter before the frosting sets.