A Merry Christmas to all my dear readers and Happy Holidays!

Shortbread cookies are a ubiquitous part of the Christmas cookie platter. A traditional, classic Christmas cookie recipe that is one of the simplest and best cookie I made this Christmas. I adapted this recipe from Joy of Baking website. The shortbread cookies were not too sweet, had a buttery aftertaste and absolutely melt in the mouth.

For soft cookies, roll them slightly thicker. For a crisp cookie, roll them thin and lower the baking temperature. Well, there are endless possibilities/flavors you can work around the basic shortbread cookie. You can flavor the shortbread cookies with lemon zest, vanilla, saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves or herbs like rosemary. Nehal loves shortbread cookies that are dunked in chocolate and I like them plain with my evening cup of masala chai.

Shortbread Cookies

Prepare time: 30 min Cook: 10 min Serves: 20 Cuisine: western

Ingredients

All purpose flour : 1 1/2 cups (260 gms maida)
Cornflour : 1/2 cup
Salt : 1/4 tsp
Butter : 1 cup/226 gms/2 sticks (unsalted butter and at room temperature)
Powdered sugar : 1/2 cup (60 gms)
Vanilla extract : 1 tsp
For Chocolate Dipped Short breads
Semi sweet chocolate : 6 ounces/180 gms/3/4 cup (finely chopped)

Method for making Shortbread Cookies

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Grease and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl mix the flour and cornflour with salt and keep aside.
Cream the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until smooth, approx 2 mts. Add vanilla extract and mix. Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix to form a soft dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill the dough for an hour or until firm on touch.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into 1/4 inch thick circle. Using a lightly floured cookie cutter of your choice shape the dough. Place the shaped out dough on the prepared baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for 10-15 mts so that it will firm up the dough and the cookies will maintain their shape when baked.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Tips

You can coat the cookies with tempered chocolate. Just melt chocolate over double boiler and dip the corners of the cookies in the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper. Refrigerate for a few minutes and serve.

By Sailu Published: December 24, 2011 Shortbread cookies are traditional, classic Christmas cookie recipe. One of the simplest and best cookie recipe I made this holiday season.