Tinas Shortbread Recipes

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160C/325F (standard) or 150C/300F (fan forced / convection).
• Butter and line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm / 9 x 13" pan with baking paper with overhang.
• Beat butter until smooth (or use very soft butter and a wooden spoon). Add icing sugar and beat until combined.
• Add half the flour and beat until mostly combined - it will resemble wet sand. Then beat in the remainder. Use your hands to bring it together into a smooth ball of dough - knead lightly if required.
• Roughly press down into a rectangle shape, then transfer into the pan. Press into the pan. Optional: Roll over the top using a small rolling pin or glass (that's what I used) for a smooth surface. Don't press down too hard - it makes the cookies firmer
• Bake for 20 minutes until edges are very light golden and most of the surface is still pale gold.
• Remove from the oven. Working quickly, cut into desired shape (I do 8 x 3 bars, like Walker's shortbread biscuits) and prick all over with a fork (optional).
• Return to the oven for 8 minutes or until the surface is light golden - not browned. Turn the oven off, crack it open ajar, then leave to cool for at least 1 hour in the oven.
• Remove from the oven, use paper overhang to remove the biscuits from the pan. Cool fully on rack. Serve with tea!!

TINA'S SHORTBREAD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, then stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
• Roll or scoop dough into walnut sized balls. Place them on unprepared cookie sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from sheets to cool on racks.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.
• Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.

TINA'S SHORTBREAD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, then stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
• Roll or scoop dough into walnut sized balls. Place them on unprepared cookie sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from sheets to cool on racks.

TINA'S SHORTBREAD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, then stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
• Roll or scoop dough into walnut sized balls. Place them on unprepared cookie sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from sheets to cool on racks.

TINA'S SHORTBREAD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, then stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
• Roll or scoop dough into walnut sized balls. Place them on unprepared cookie sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from sheets to cool on racks.

TINA'S SHORTBREAD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, then stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
• Roll or scoop dough into walnut sized balls. Place them on unprepared cookie sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from sheets to cool on racks.

SUPER-EASY SHORTBREAD (3 INGREDIENTS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°.
• Cream butter and sugar together.
• Add flour and mix till texture is like clay.
• Press dough into ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan, prick all over with a fork, and sprinkle with sugar (tilt pan to cover the top evenly, then shake excess sugar back into the sugar canister).
• Bake for about 40-45 minutes (till very lightly browned--just golden around the edges).
• Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into 24 squares while warm.
• Leave in pan to cool thoroughly. (Shortbread will not be crisp until cool.).
• Less easy method: Chill dough. Roll into 1-inch balls, then press balls to about 1/4-inch thickness on ungreased cookie sheets with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar (sometimes you can find a glass with a pretty design on the bottom, like a star). Bake at 300° for about 20-25 minutes (until edges are very lightly browned).
• Least easy method: Chill dough. Roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness, sprinkle with sugar, then cut with cookie cutters. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 300° for about 20-25 minutes (until edges are very lightly browned).
• Variation: Add 2 tablespoons dried lavender to the creamed butter and sugar before adding flour. It may sound strange, but the flavor is subtle and elegant. Food-grade lavender is usually available in herb bins at health food stores, and I recently found it at a great price from Atlantic Spice online (their Lavender #1).
• Variation: After cutting shortbread into squares (it will still be warm), scatter 1 cup of chocolate chips over the top, let the chocolate soften completely, then spread as a thin layer and let cool completely before removing from pan. (No need to sprinkle shortbread with sugar before baking if you plan to do this.).
• Variation: Stir 1 cup chocolate chips or butterscotch chips into the dough before pressing into pan. You can also try melting the butterscotch over the top, as above. In England, you'll find "caramel shortbread," which has a layer of caramel and a layer of chocolate on top of the shortbread. It's wonderful (of course!). I've tried various ways of doing this and various kinds of caramel, but it's been a while and I don't remember what works best. It can be tricky not to make a mess!

TINA'S SHORTBREAD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in flour mixture in two batches, then stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
• Roll or scoop dough into walnut-sized balls and place 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press on each cookie slightly to flatten.
• Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool.

BUTTERY 3-INGREDIENT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour. Press dough into an ungreased 9-in. square baking pan. Prick with a fork., Bake until light brown, 30-35 minutes. Cut into squares while warm. Cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar.

TINA'S SHORTBREAD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, then stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
• Roll or scoop dough into walnut sized balls. Place them on unprepared cookie sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from sheets to cool on racks.

SHORTBREAD, 10 WAYS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pulse together flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some of the crumbs start to come together, but don't overprocess; the dough should be somewhat crumbly. (You can also mix the dough in a bowl using two knives or a pastry cutter.)
• Press dough into an even layer in an ungreased 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan, or a 9-inch pie pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes for the 9-inch square or pie pan, 45 to 50 minutes for the 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm.

TINY SHORTBREAD TARTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and mix well. , Shape into 1-in. balls; press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups. , Bake at 300° for 17-22 minutes or until set. Cool for 15 minutes before carefully removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Spoon 1 teaspoon of pie filling into each tart.