Amid baking macarons, fancy French pastries and European cake classes at Kitchen Conservatory, sometimes I long for a classic cookie. And, to me, shortbread is just that. These remind me of the butter cookies I used to eat from a cold tin back in India, but with slightly less butter.
I started with a recipe for a tart crust, then cut the amount of butter and added some extracts. I also melted the butter to liquid and used my hands to work it into the flour. (When I first started baking, I often melted butter to save time. It was only later that I learned how important it is to cream it at room temperature. However, that rule doesn’t apply to cookies; melted butter makes them so much easier and quicker to deal with.)
In the end, the tart was amazing, but the crust was the star of the show. I had some left over so I made cookie cutouts and smeared some jam on them. What resulted were heavenly sandwich cookies that I’ve made countless times since.
This shortbread recipe is extremely versatile and simple. I’ve made Linzer cookies, chocolate sandwich cookies and various tarts with it as the base. And despite cutting the butter content, the cookie is still delightfully buttery and breaks away easily with a soft crunch.
When it comes to eating them, I can assure you that one won’t be enough.
Shortbread Cookies with Blueberry Jam Courtesy of Amrita Rawat
12 cookies or 1 9-inch tart
¾ cup butter (1 cup for extra buttery flavor)
2 egg yolks
½ tsp. vanilla extract (or extract of your choice)
½ cup powdered sugar
2 flat cups all-purpose flour
• Melt the butter in a microwave until it reaches a liquid consistency and let cool until it’s warm to the touch.
• Put the egg yolks, extract and sugar in a bowl, then add the melted butter. Combine with your hands or an electric mixer.
• Add the flour and blend until it forms a homogenous paste. Roll the dough out into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before shaping.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll out the dough and make cut outs with a cookie cutter.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden on the edges. Smear blueberry jam on top and, if you like, top with another shortbread cookie.
This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2011.
