Your guests will feel the holiday spirit when they are served these easy-to-make cookies.
The traditional shortbread recipe, with colourful bits of fruit, nuts, and chocolate, lends itself to a variety of options. The sweet, flaky, buttery taste will delight the most discerning cookie expert.
The great thing about holiday baking is that it can be done ahead of time. These cookies can all be frozen and a few taken out to decorate a plate as you need them, or given as a gift for a special friend.
Classic Shortbread
1 lb butter, room temperature
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
Preheat oven to 150 C (300 F). In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Knead dough with your hands on a clean surface, turning and folding it approximately a dozen times.
Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out with desired cookie cutters and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Using a fork, lightly prick dough every inch. Bake cookies in lower third of preheated oven until lightly golden on edges, rotating pan half way through cooking if uneven browning occurs. Bake for 20 to 25 min.
Remove from oven. Let stand 10 min. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in a cool place or in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Variations
Following the recipe above, try these:
Cranberry and Pistachio
When kneading the shortbread, add 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 cup finely chopped pistachio.
Chocolate-dipped and Candied Ginger
Add 1/2 cup finely chopped candied ginger during the kneading. Use a rectangular-shaped cookie cutter. To coat with chocolate after baking, dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate and place on a rack to cool.
Raspberry Jam and Icing Sugar Liner
Roll out dough to approximately 1/8 inch and cut into 2-inch circles, one for the top and one for the bottom. Cut a hole out of the centre of the top circle with a small cutter. After baking and cooling, spread 1/4 tsp of raspberry jam or jelly in the centre of the bottom circle. Dust icing sugar on the top circles and layer on top of the jam.
Shortbread Tart Shells
Cut rolled-out shortbread with a fluted 2-inch cutter and place in mini tart tins. After baking, remove from tins and cool on a rack. Fill with fresh fruit or lemon curd and whipped cream.
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Molasses-clove Cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted shortening, cooled
1 large egg, beaten with a fork
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
3/4 cup rolled oats
Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F). In a large bowl sift all the dry ingredients together. Mix in the shortening and egg with a wooden spoon. Add the molasses and rolled oats and mix in well. Form into 1-inch mounds and press down with the back of a glass dipped in sugar to flatten. Place on a parchment-papered pan and bake for 12 minutes. Transfer to racks. Cool.
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Chocolate Chunk, Orange, and Hazelnut Cookies
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 tsp grated orange peel
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
6 oz Bakers semi sweet choc, cut into 1/4" chunks
1 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F). Sift flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat brown sugar, butter, orange peel, and vanilla in a large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Add in chocolate and hazelnuts.
Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until firm to the touch and starting to brown, approximately 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool. Makes about 24 cookies.
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