To me there’s nothing better than a good shortbread cookie, and there’s so many great variations. Plus I can keep rolls of them in the fridge and slice and cook them when I need them, or make several varieties and give them for holiday gifts.
So I’m going to give you a plain vanilla recipe and go from there. Also, one of the best shortbread cookies you’ll have is Martha Stewart’s Lime Meltaways. Click here, for that recipe.
Now if you want even quicker, and very tasty bites, try these:
- Mini Fillo Cups – filled with nutella, or nutella mixed with softened cream cheese (or mascarpone). Even add a little cinnamon. You can also do the same thing with a good jam (like marionberry!). Put a dab of soft cream cheese in the bottom and a little jam on top. Brookshires has a great sale on the fillo cups and they’re in the dairy section – display in the aisle. HEB has carried them in the frozen foods in the past.
- Diamond Pecan or Hazelnut Rice Crackers – make little sandwiches with nutella filling or nutella and softened cream cheese mixed. These crackers are available at HEB or Drug Emporium.
Lavender lemon shortbread.
Shortbread Cookies and Variations
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4-1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, beat butter. Add vanilla and beat again.
- Combine all dry ingredients and add to butter. Process until it starts to form a ball.
- Turn onto a piece of plastic wrap and work it into a ball.
- Divide in two, and using two pieces of plastic wrap, form into two logs about 1 inch across. Wrap and store in fridge.
- To bake, heat oven to 325. Cut logs into 1/4 inch slices. Place slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake about 15-20 minutes, do not brown.
- For chocolate frosting on vanilla shortbread, heat Nutella and drizzle it on top
- For lavender lemon: to dough add 2 TBSP finely chopped lavender leaves and 1-2 TBSP lemon zest
- For rosemary: to dough add 1 TBSP finely chopped rosemary leaves, 1/2 cup chopped pine nuts, and 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
- For espresso / chocolate: beat 2 TBSP espresso powder dissolved in 1 tsp hot water into beaten butter; replace 1/4 cup of sugar with packed brown sugar; mix 1 TBSP cocoa powder and 1 tsp cinnamon with dry ingredients. After baking, dust with powdered sugar.
I have had the good fortune of sampling Lanie’s shortbread cookies and they are , well,they’re ‘the bomb’.I mean…awesome !
Another favorite delicacy from her dessert bar are miniature Tiramisu’s in chocolate ‘cups’ ?? Fabulous. They are the caviar of desserts.