Twinkling Star Orange Shortbread Recipes

ORANGE CORNMEAL SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and zest. Beat well, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. With mixer on low speed, mix in flour, 2 tablespoons cornmeal, and salt until well combined, about 3 minutes. Form dough into two logs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter; wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place remaining 1/4 cup cornmeal on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Remove plastic from chilled dough; roll logs in cornmeal to coat. Slice into 1/4-inch rounds. Place on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake until pale golden all over, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with sugar.

ORANGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Blend together butter, superfine sugar, zest, and salt in a bowl with a fork. Sift flour into butter mixture and blend with fork until mixture forms a soft dough.
• Transfer dough to an ungreased large baking sheet and pat into a 10- by 5-inch rectangle. Prick dough all over with fork and sprinkle with coarse sugar (if using), pressing it gently into dough with your fingertips to adhere. Score dough crosswise with back of a knife into 6 rectangles (do not cut all the way through), then score each rectangle into 2 triangles.
• Bake shortbread in middle of oven until edges are golden but center is pale, 12 to 17 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes, then cut into 12 triangles along scored lines while still warm. Transfer triangles with a long spatula to a rack to cool completely.

ORANGE SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Will need one 10x15x1 inch pan, buttered and lined with buttered parchment or foil.
• Position oven rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 325°.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, extract, zest, and salt; beat on medium speed until very light colored and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
• Add in the flour and mix in on lowest speed.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to finish mixing the dough.
• Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and with lightly floured palm of your hands, press into all corners.
• Use the back of a spoon to smooth the top of the dough evenly, if necessary.
• With the tines of a fork, pierce the dough all over at ½ inch intervals.
• Bake the shortbread for about 25-30 minutes, until it is slightly puffed and firm.
• Remove the pan to a rack to cool until the shortbread is lukewarm-not completely cooled.
• Invert the shortbread from the pan onto a cutting board, and remove the paper.
• Using a ruler to mark, then cut the shortbread into 2-inch squares.
• Store between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with tight-fitting lid; may freeze for longer storage.

CRISP ORANGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Beat the butter, then cream it with the sugar and orange zest until light. Stir in the flour and baking powder and mix together to form a dough.
• Divide the mixture into 10 balls, arrange on a baking sheet. Press each ball fl at with the tip of a round-bladed knife. Chill for 15 mins, then bake for 12-15 mins until light golden. Leave on the baking sheet for 2 mins before releasing with a palette knife. Slide onto a rack to cool. Will keep stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

ORANGE SHORTBREAD WITH SPICY DARK CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Place first six ingredients in a food processor; process until dough comes together. Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 350°. On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. diamond-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Refrigerate 15 minutes. , Bake 9-11 minutes or until until edges are light brown. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, mix chocolate and cayenne until smooth. Drizzle over cookies; refrigerate until set. Freeze option: Freeze undecorated cookies in freezer containers. To use, thaw in covered containers and decorate as desired.

ALMOND-ORANGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, almond extract, and salt until smooth. With mixer on low speed, add flour and orange zest; mix just until a dough forms. With a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, or your hands, gently mix in almonds.
• Freeze the dough: On a piece of waxed paper, form dough into a rectangular log, 12 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick. Wrap log in the paper, and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 months. If freezing longer than 1 day, wrap log again, in plastic wrap.
• Bake the shortbread: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove dough from freezer. (If dough has been in freezer a long time and is frozen solid, let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes so it slices without crumbling.)
• With a sharp knife, cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake until edges just begin to turn golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet; transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.

TWINKLING STAR ORANGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 160°c conventional/140°c fan forced.
• Beat butter, sugar and orange rind with a pinch of salt in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
• Fold in flours and mix to a soft dough.
• Lightly knead mixture on a lightly floured surface and roll out to 8-10mm thickness.
• Cut mixture with star cutters. Sprinkle each star with a little raw sugar and place on a baking paper lined tray.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until pale golden and firm.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• Serving suggestion:- Melt chocolate and oil together over a pan of simmering water or in microwave and drizzle over stars with a fork.