Monday, December 22, 2014

Shortbread Cookies



Baking is so much fun especially during this time of the year.Baking fills the whole room will such a sweet aroma. It feels so festive and makes you so happy. Personally for me baking is therapeutic although I am still a beginner in this field.
So when it was decided that CAKES,BAKES and SWEETS would be the topic of the Blog Hop , I was really happy.  Also the school vacations have started . That means my 7 year old will be home. Baking is a good activity to involve him too. Frankly speaking he doesn't mind because he knows that his hard work will be generously rewards with the yummy delicacies soon to be baked. Funny thing is , he calls himself the "sous chef" of the house :) Though unwell during that time, he did his role of my handy helper very well.. Actually the whole process made the atmosphere of the house so happy:) You can actually see him helping me in the pictures below:)

My first entry to the Blog Hop is the SHORTBREAD COOKIES.Shortbread cookies originated in Scotland but are also widely made in the rest of the United Kingdom. It uses very few ingredients like flour, butter, sugar, salt and pure vanilla extract but the resultant cookie is just out of this world. The important component of this cookie is butter and it renders the cookie a melt in the mouth texture.





 To give some variety, I made some chocolate sauce and dipped a few cookies in them. On some, I just drizzled the sauce while some cookies were enjoyed as is..

INGREDIENTS:

  • All Purpose flour / Maida : 2 cups (260 grams)
  • Powdered sugar / Icing sugar : 1/2 cup ( 60 grams)
  • Unsalted Butter : 1 cup or 226 grams (Butter has to be at room temperature)
  • Pure vanilla extract : 1 tsp
  • Salt : 1/4 tsp
For the Chocolate sauce:
  • 6 ounces (180 grams) of semi-sweet chocolate chips
PROCEDURE:
  • Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment , beat the butter until creamy.(About 1 minute)



  • Add powdered sugar and beat again for 2 minutes scraping from the sides in between.
  • Add in the vanilla extract and mix well.
  • Slowly start adding the flour , mix until well incorporated. Do not beat too much. We do not want too much air getting into the mix.

  • Take the mix into a countertop or a big plate and give a final knead. Place the mix in a plastic wrap. Give a disc shape to the cookie dough by pressing it. Cover it with the wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours or overnight. This will firm up the dough. (I chilled them overnight).




  • After the cookie has been chilled for sufficient time, remove them from the fridge and let them sit on the countertop for about 10-15 minutes.


  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the cookie dough into a 1/4 inch thick circle. As you start rolling, the sides might start to crack. Press it and continue to roll. If you think dough is sticking to the surface , pop it back to the refrigerator for  couple minutes and then start working on them again.


  • Lightly flour the cookie cutter and start cutting shapes.Take the leftover dough and roll it again and repeat the process of making cookie shapes.


  • Using a pastry brush , dust off the excess flour from the cut cookie shapes. Place the cookie shapes in the prepared baking sheet. Keep the prepared shapes in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. This will help the cookies to firm up and retain their shape while getting baked.



  • Bake for 10-15 minutes or until it is lightly brown. (Baking times vary from oven to oven so keep an eye on the cookies.)  The cookies will be soft to touch when removed from the oven. They will solidify once cooled.
  • Cool the cookies on  a wire rack
To make Chocolate dipped cookies :
  • Take the chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl. Keep this bowl on top of a pot of simmering hot water. 



  • Keep stirring the chocolate chips until they melt and become smooth and glossy.

  • Dip the cookies one by one. (you can dip the entire cookie or just a part of it).

  • You can even add some sprinkles to the chocolate dipped section of the cookies.




To make chocolate drizzled cookies:
  • Pour the chocolate sauce into a pastry bag or a zip lock bag.


  •  Squeeze it and make a small opening at the bottom.

  •  Drizzle the chocolate sauce on top of the cookies.



  •  Now keep the chocolate dipped cookies and chocolate drizzled cookies in the fridge for 15 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened.

Notes: This recipe has been adapted from Joy of Baking.Butter is a very key ingredient in making this cookie so tasty. So it is advisable to use good quality butter. Also important is that you use Pure Vanilla extract and stay away from the imitations. The baking times will vary if the thickness of the cookies is increased or decreased.


As mentioned earlier, this is one of my entries to the second segment of the Blog Hop. The other members of the Blog Hop are 
Deepa ( Make it very simple)
Jayashree (Evergreen dishes)
Vani (Marudhus Kitchen)
Ritu (Scrumptious Indian recipes)
Poornima (Poorni's Easy Cook Book)
Do check out the yummy delicacies in their each one of their spaces:)

Happy Cooking!!

24 comments:

  1. Very nice Subha and good to see Aditya in action. Looks yummy and liked your chocolate sauce over them .

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  2. Aww this is the most adorable recipe I have come across. Shubha I was unable to concentrate on any other thing as your cutie pie tiny packet of magic had overtaken my heart and looking at him in the apron brought a huge smile on my lips. I think his cuteness has spilled over your entire post and made each and every cookie super irresistible. Those cookies look superlative my dear. Your post is spreading so much Christmas cheer.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks dear!! He loves it when i bake.. be it helping me or tasting the cake batter:)..Ty so much for the kind words ..xxx

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  3. Yummy, delicious and tempting cookies. U have presented it too neatly too

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  4. Aww...very nice effort from your kiddo subha!! These cookies looks yummy. Perfect for christmas my dear. Beautiful looking cookies and looks delish. I like the variety you have given to the cookies. Very nice chocolate dipped and drizzled cookies. Can we make these cookies from whole wheat flour (Atta) ?

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    Replies
    1. Dear Ritu, I have seen tried this recipe with whole wheat flour.. Now that you have asked , i will definitely try it and let u know..thanks a bunch hun:)

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  5. Wow great short breads..
    And love the decorations the most...

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    Replies
    1. Ty dear Vani..Had set the cookie tray besides the christmas tree.. now aditya says "bake some more for Santa "..lol every year.. he keeps cookies and milk under the christmas tree on the christmas eve..

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  6. Mouth-watering cookies and nice presentation :)

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  7. Hi Shubha,
    A very good morning dear.
    Very Beautiful presentation, best clicked images and excellent narration. And Bonus points - for Aditya presence, Looking very cute and lovely. And working with mom and helping and supporting how caring and loving he is. (Touch wood).

    Shubha,
    Sorry, but Aditya scores more in this recipe, as he is equally contributing, so all Brownie points will go to him :p





    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Deepa,
      Yes , i too give all the credit to Aditya.. Seeing him in action after being in bed for a couple of days was really good:) Aditya says "Thanks" to you..
      Luvz,
      Shubha

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    2. Welcome Aditya and thank you so much for making these perfectly shaped, delicious chocolate cookies.

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  8. I can clearly see the melt in the mouth texture of your wonderful cookies Shubha. Awesome :) Glad to see your LO bit better and offering his eager helping hands. Did he help you with the pictures too - he has done a great job indeed:D
    Of Course I can see all the hard work you've put in with detailed explanation and pictures with every step. Great Job! love the cookies!!

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    1. Dear Anu,
      Thanks!! yes the whole baking thing got him moving around:) he is getting better..Ty so much for such sweet words dear:)
      luv,
      Shubha

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  9. Beautiful cookies! Kids love baking cookies and Aditya is cute!

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  10. Hi!... Came across ur blog through the comment section of another!! Nice blog!! Happy to follow ur blog and will be happy if you follow me back.
    Looks very tempting and lovely presentation!!
    Would love u to visit my space!!
    www.masalakorb.com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Padma,
      Thanks for visiting and thanks for the kind words:) Visited your space too.. Beautiful space.. Following you on Pinterest:)
      Shubha

      Delete
  11. Love the creative deco of the cookies. Very nice. Btw, following you on blogger. Appreciated if the same can be returned. Thanks.

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  12. Love the creative deco of the cookies. Very nice. Btw, following you on blogger. Appreciated if the same can be returned. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete