Mean Chefs Classic Shortbread Cookies Recipes

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD COOKIES IN 4 INGREDIENTS WITH ADDED 1 INGREDIENT VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add the flour, salt, and powdered sugar to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add in the vanilla, the butter and the 1 teaspoon of water. Pulse together just until a dough is formed. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 5 inches long. Tightly twist each end of the wrap in opposite directions. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Slice the log into 1/3-inch thick disks. Arrange on nonstick cookie sheets, parchment lined or silpat lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are just light brown, about 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans half way through the baking process. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and cool until room temperature. Enjoy!
• Variations:
• Pulse together the tea with the flour and salt in a food processor just until the tea is in small pieces evenly distributed throughout the flour. Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, the butter and the 1 teaspoon of water. Continue as instructed above.
• Pulse the toasted and chopped pecans into the dough and then shape into a flattened round disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. On a flour dusted surface, roll the dough out to approximately 1/3-inch thick. (If the dough is too hard to roll or begins to crack, let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes until pliable.) With a sharp knife, cut the dough into rectangle shapes about 1 by 3-inches. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets and follow the cooking instructions as above. Dust slightly cooled cookies with powdered sugar through a fine mesh strainer.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour and mix well.
• Put through cookie press and form cookies onto baking sheets. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

3-INGREDIENT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C.)
• Combine butter or margarine, flour and confectioner's sugar and beat for 10 minutes.
• Drop from teaspoon onto cookie sheet. Decorate with maraschino cherry pieces.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned.

MEAN CHEF'S CLASSIC SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with parchment.
• Combine butter, sugar and salt in a stand mixer (use paddle attachment).
• Mix on low speed until the butter combines with the sugar, but isn't perfectly smooth, 1-2 minutes.
• Add flour and mix on low, scraping frequently, until dough has just about pulled together, about 3 minutes.
• Don't overmix.
• Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a uniform 1/4 inch.
• Cut dough into bars or squares with a sharp knife or use a cookie cutter.
• Reroll scraps- refrigerate dough if it becomes sticky.
• Arrange on baking sheets and refrigerate until chilled- about 20 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees.
• Bake cookies until golden on the bottom and edges and pale to golden on the top- 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Rotate baking sheets every 15 minutes.
• Cool.
• Variations: Brown sugar and oatmeal- use brown sugar in place of white and add 1/2 cup quick cooking oats with the flour.
• Chocolate dipped espresso- Add 2 Tbl finely ground espresso coffee beans with the flour.
• Dip half of each cooled cookie into melted chocolate (9 oz semisweet chocolate melted with 1 Tbl vegetable shortening).
• Place cookies on parchment line sheetpan to set up- 2 hours.
• Orange-Hazelnut- Add 2 1/2 oz (1/2 cup) skinned, toasted and finely ground hazelnuts (use food processor) and 2 tsp (loosely packed) finely grated orange zest from 1 orange along with the flour.