Cookies By Design Sugar Shortbread Cookies Recipes

{ COOKIES BY DESIGN } SUGAR SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Whip sugar and shortening in a large bowl, add eggs and beat well.
• Add remaining ingredients and mix.
• Knead dough into ball, roll out and cut. Place on cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.

BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In large mixer bowl, beat margarine and sugar until creamy. Add vanilla; then gradually beat in flour, blending thoroughly.
• Gather dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm (1 hour) or for up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• On lightly floured board, roll out dough to 1/4" thick. Cut, place on lightly greased sheets. Bake 35-40 minutes or until firm to the touch (press very lightly to test). Transfer to racks and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

GLAZED BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Gradually stir in flour and mix well. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. Roll dough to 1/3-in. thickness. Cut with floured 3-in. shaped cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake until bottoms are lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., For icing, in a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, 5 tablespoons water and meringue powder; beat on low speed just until blended. Beat on high until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes. Thin with remaining water to desired consistency. Tint 1 cup of icing with food coloring; transfer to a pastry bag. Leave remaining icing white or tint a second color; transfer to a shallow dish. Keep unused icing covered at all times with a damp cloth. If necessary, beat again on high speed to restore texture., Dip a cookie into icing in dish; remove excess. Drizzle with icing in pastry bag. Use a toothpick to swirl the 2 colors together. Repeat with remaining cookies and icing. Let stand at room temperature until frosting is dry and firm, several hours. Store in an airtight container.

BUTTERY ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together flours, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and granulated sugar until lightened in color and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in egg yolk and almond extract until combined, about 20 seconds. With the mixer running on low, add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
• Divide dough into two balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a 1 1/2-inch-thick log. (If the dough is too soft to work with, chill it for 20 to 30 minutes before forming it into logs.) Wrap logs tightly in parchment paper or plastic wrap, and refrigerate until very firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• When you are ready to bake the cookies, heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Use large, sharp knife to cut each log into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake until cookie edges and bottoms are golden brown, about 15 to 22 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the icing: In a large bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, melted butter, 1 tablespoon buttermilk, vanilla and almond extracts. If the icing isn't thin enough to drizzle, add more buttermilk. It should be a little thicker than heavy cream.
• Using a fork, drizzle icing all over the cooled cookies, then top with almond slices if you like. Let the icing set for at least 1 hour, then store at room temperature in an airtight container. The cookies will keep for at least 3 days.

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.