Best part of this recipe? You already have all of the ingredients! I made the vanilla version and it was sublime still warm. Love Melissa Clark.
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I used 1 1/2 c. all purpose (King Arthur), 1/2 c rice flour, a heaping 1/2 c. granulated sugar, two sticks (16 T. ) unsalted butter, 3/4 tsp salt, and zest from 1/2 a navel orange. Dough was very dry (like damp sand; did not hold together) so I added 2 tsp. orange extract, pulsed, and then 2 T. water and pulsed again. Dough barely started to form a ball. I formed the dough into a log that had a 2 inch diameter, rolled it into wax paper and cooled in the 'frig for several hours until firm. Sliced the log into 1/4" rounds and baked on parchment paper (ungreased) at 325 F for 13 minutes. My oven tends to be "fast" so other ovens could need 2-3 more minutes of baking time. They were white and a little soft out of the oven but they hardened up on cooling. The bright specks of orange zest are very pretty. Cookies ended up oval in shape which is a nice alternative to a round cookie.
Love the buttery taste, dense but crumbly texture, and the hint of orange.
Love the buttery taste, dense but crumbly texture, and the hint of orange.
Melissa,
Could you use this recipe to make a crust for a fruit tart?
Could you use this recipe to make a crust for a fruit tart?
If you've ever made lemon bars the crust is essentially shortbread.
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We make shortbread at Christmas and roll it out to about 1/3 inch thickness and then use small cookie cutters - christmas trees, stars, circles.
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Melissa, I baked your Classic Shortbread recipe today and it came out wonderful. I used 1/2 cup of sweetener and it's a little sweet but I'm sure will be fine with strawberries and whip cream. You didn't say in the video oven temp or time of baking. I looked it up on the other shortbread recipes. I baked mine at 325 degrees for 30 minutes in a pyrex 9 inch pie pan. It's perfect. Thanks for all your good recipes.
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Her recipe is linked at the bottom of the article....
Ms. Clark: Wow! You and your video partner Alec show me a new idea or variation almost every week. I am impressed.
My go-to short bread is identical but I have zero fear when adding grounds nuts or potent oils. (I dislike the bitter taste of EtOH-based extracts and use oils, typically nut or citrus for a bit more zing. (Googling Lorannoils.com is not a mistake.) This time of year, shortbread rounds are ideal for in-season fruits and I often add a pound. The favorite is strawberry with local berries. Of note, I tend to cut the sugar by at least half. Guests may ask, yet rarely figure it out because ripe local fruit is already sweet. (Heavy cream is a treat and I have zero fear. Nuts!)
You and your video partner are creative geniuses and I look forward to seeing your regular posts. Thank you. -CG.
(Note: do not overlook the oils. They work better than extracts, require only drops and leave no burned EtOH taste behind.) I guess there is a reason behind calling it "(Name Fruit) Short Cake." I usually make rounds, but does the shape matter? Thanks.
My go-to short bread is identical but I have zero fear when adding grounds nuts or potent oils. (I dislike the bitter taste of EtOH-based extracts and use oils, typically nut or citrus for a bit more zing. (Googling Lorannoils.com is not a mistake.) This time of year, shortbread rounds are ideal for in-season fruits and I often add a pound. The favorite is strawberry with local berries. Of note, I tend to cut the sugar by at least half. Guests may ask, yet rarely figure it out because ripe local fruit is already sweet. (Heavy cream is a treat and I have zero fear. Nuts!)
You and your video partner are creative geniuses and I look forward to seeing your regular posts. Thank you. -CG.
(Note: do not overlook the oils. They work better than extracts, require only drops and leave no burned EtOH taste behind.) I guess there is a reason behind calling it "(Name Fruit) Short Cake." I usually make rounds, but does the shape matter? Thanks.
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Please add closed captions to these types of videos.
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Mama's little baby loves shortening shortening Mama's little
baby loves shortening bread
How many babies have been put to bed with that song.
baby loves shortening bread
How many babies have been put to bed with that song.
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Sharp metal knife in a nice pan? I shuddered, you know. I really did.
(Shame.)
(Shame.)
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I have a good-quality plastic knife that I bought just for cutting baked goods in my nice pans. It's a worthy investment.
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GAAAAH I need to make a pan of short bread RIGHT NOW!
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Add Irish whiskey!
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I love watching you cook. I am going to try your shortbread this week.
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done. simple. yum.
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I've copied some of the readers' recipes because I once tried a NYT 'easy' recipe and ended up throwing away $30 of expensive chocolate and dirtying 8 pans, trying to make an 'easy' chocolate cake.
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Cooking low and slow?
What is that?
What is that?
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Has anyone mentioned using cornstarch/flour in addition to regular flour? We lived in Scotland briefly many years ago, and the cookbook I bought there specified corn flour and never mentioned rice flour. Could this be a regional thing? We were in Glasgow. Anyone know about this?
I use a very good and reliable recipe for shortbread from "The Highlander's Cookbook" by Sheila MacNiven Cameron, published sometime in the 60s.
Her recipe calls for 3 cups of sifted flour and 1 cup rice of flour, but she suggests using 3/4 of a cup of cornstarch as a substitute for rice flour if you can't find it. I always use the cornstarch and the shortbread has a wonderful melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Her recipe calls for 3 cups of sifted flour and 1 cup rice of flour, but she suggests using 3/4 of a cup of cornstarch as a substitute for rice flour if you can't find it. I always use the cornstarch and the shortbread has a wonderful melt-in-your-mouth texture.
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Not sure what I did wrong, my shortbreads came out very hard and almost inedible. They have a great taste but if you can't actually eat them without a chisel. Overmix? Overcook?
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My failed too! Ugh was so hoping to love this recipe.
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First guess: you over-mixed the butter into the flour. Personally, I loath food processors so when I make biscuits, scones, or anything that requires butter to be incorporated in a "granulated" (I call it sandy) way. I keep my butter cold and grate it with a large-hole grater. Works amazingly well.
Second guess: your oven temp was off, and many ovens are off by a good 25-degrees F, so a good oven thermometer may be in order. That or you just didn't think it was done and gave it another 5 minutes, which dried it out.
3rd guess: voodoo. Hey, it could happen.
Last guess: you heard "1 stick of butter to 1 cup of flour" but did not notice the recipe is effectively double those amounts. The ratio is the same, but the amounts are not, so perhaps a misreading?
Second guess: your oven temp was off, and many ovens are off by a good 25-degrees F, so a good oven thermometer may be in order. That or you just didn't think it was done and gave it another 5 minutes, which dried it out.
3rd guess: voodoo. Hey, it could happen.
Last guess: you heard "1 stick of butter to 1 cup of flour" but did not notice the recipe is effectively double those amounts. The ratio is the same, but the amounts are not, so perhaps a misreading?
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I used a recipe years ago that I found on the back of a Bigelow Cinnamon Stick Tea package that called for steeping a couple of tea bags in a few tablespoons of milk, and then adding the milk to what I now know was a more-or-less generic shortbread recipe. It added a nice, subtle, unidentifiable flavor to an end product that was undeniably shortbread, and the amount of liquid was so small it really didn't affect the dough or the baking.. Nowadays I usually use a recipe from one of those little paperback books of recipes pulled together for tourists, which I got on a trip to Perthshire years ago, and which calls for the rice flour. But now. because of this discussion, I'm thinking of making a batch with tea.
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Ms. Clark, what do you recommend for someone who does not have a food processor? Other commenters suggest grating frozen butter and mixing by hand, but I'm wondering if you have a suggestion. The lack of a food processor also applies to pie crusts, so a good solution for this technique would be most appreciated.
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You can use a hand held pastry blender to incorporate chunks of cold butter into dry ingredients. The pastry blender consists of several wires in a half moon shape attached to a handle. In a pinch, you can even use pairs of knives and forks to break up and blend the ingredients—after all, shortbread has been in existence long before food processors were invented, so hand mixing was the only way to go for centuries.
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I always make my pie dough by hand. I use the two bread knives technique to get the flour and shortening started and then I use my fingers to get it pea-sized, then add the water and stir it into a ball with one of the knives. I am always amazed when I see people (notice Melissa early in this video) using a food processor simply to mix a few dry ingredients. It seems like driving your car to visit your next-door neighbor.
My mother, who made magnificent pies, used the half-moon wire contraption.
My mother, who made magnificent pies, used the half-moon wire contraption.
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I make shortbread in my store but use confectioners sugar which I find give it a better texture
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Thanks Fiona. I have to imagine it makes the shortbread taste smoother...Would I use it in the same ratio as the NY Time's suggestion? one cup?
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I've used confectioner sugar as well and it's a softer texture which I like. I use the same ratio not sure if I should or not but tastes fine.
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I think this recipe looks good and wanting to make it..BUT what is missing is the oven temp and time. Instructions say low and slow...what does that mean? I had to go to another site to find the answer to that question...275 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes
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If you click on the link included after the article "Shortbread, 10 Ways" and scroll through the recipe you'll see a notation for baking temp at 325 degrees for 35 to 40 mins with a 9 inch pan or pie plate, and 45 to 50 mins with an 8 inch pan. Good luck!
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I added a teaspoon of ground cardamom and it was wonderfully aromatic. I had this with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream last night. Next, I plan to try the cornmeal variation. Thanks to the posters who offered other delicious suggestions. Lavender flowers? I happen to have some! Vanilla sugar is probably the best thing in the world. Rosemary also sounds like a fantastic idea.
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Thank you, Ms. Clark, for bringing the delicious pleasure of shortbread to a wider audience. My wife has been making this treat for years. She uses a round, terra cotta baking pan, segmented on its base into triangular shapes containing Pennsylvania Dutch type designs, which enhances the nibbling experience. Bon Appetite!
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A Scottish friend's recipe:
1 part butter 2 parts flour (1/6 rice flour) 1 part sugar.
Grate frozen butter into dry ingredients then fold in gently with a pastry knife. Blend with hands "feel the fabric" until mix grows to pearl size. Press gently into glass pan and bake at 325 F until golden on top about 25 minutes. Simply delicious!
1 part butter 2 parts flour (1/6 rice flour) 1 part sugar.
Grate frozen butter into dry ingredients then fold in gently with a pastry knife. Blend with hands "feel the fabric" until mix grows to pearl size. Press gently into glass pan and bake at 325 F until golden on top about 25 minutes. Simply delicious!
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Yum! I've got plums--I'm making this today! Thanks!
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So what does bake it "low and slow" actually mean? 100 degrees for 3 days? This is not helpful instruction ...
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Read the accompanying recipe! It clearly says the temperature and cooking time.
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Click the link at the bottom to the RECIPE.
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At the end of the article you will find a link to the recipe "Shortbread, 10 Ways". There you will find the recipe and instructions for preparing the shortbread. It is very helpful and very useful.
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I'm not big on baking, but this sounds do-able. Love all the variations that readers sent in.
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I sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top before baking. Definitely going to try rice flour.
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Our family recipe for shortbread (from my Scottish great grandmother) called for four cups of flour, 1/4 cup of rice flour, 1 pound of salted butter, and four cups of fruit sugar (or less if you don't want it so sweet). No salt other than what is in the butter. Cook on low heat (250 degrees) from a cold oven until it just starts to get brown around the edges. It's hard to describe, but when making it you have to taste the dough -- you just know when you have the mixture right, there is a certain taste to it (my grandmother taught me how to make it) and if it's not there, it's just a cookie. When baking shape them into whatever size you like and crimp the edges with a fork and if making a large size meant to be broken (usually a round), score some lines in for easy breaking. And always poke lots of fork holes in the top so they bake well. If you wish, you can sprinkle some coarse sugar on the top when done but we never bothered. It stores well and lasts a very, very long time if you start making batches in advance to give as gifts (in fact, it even tastes better if you "age" it a little).
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Thank you for posting your family recipe for shortbread! Could you please tell me what fruit sugar is? I am not too much of a baker and have never heard of it.
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I often add a half teaspoon of fresh finely grated lemon zest, or orange zest. Then wrap the dough and set in the refrigerator for an hour, which allows the zest to baptized the dough.
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I like to rub the zest into the sugar before mixing, ala Dorie Greenspan
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Freeze dried raspberries ground to dust in a spice grinder can be nice in shortbread, so are lavender flowers (also ground to dust) not too much of either. And chilling always makes a nicer cookie. My personal favorite is with a bit of rice flour in the mix and a hearty sprinkle of turbinado (aka Demerara sugar) on top. Felicity Cloak's comparison of shortbread recipes can be found online at the Guardian's website - worth reading through if you're a shortbread fanatic.
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As others have written, rice flour is a wonderful addition to shortbread. Laurie Colwin's recipe is a superb example:
http://labellecuisine.com/archives/cookies/Laurie%20Colwin's%20Classic%20Shortbread.htm
http://labellecuisine.com/archives/cookies/Laurie%20Colwin's%20Classic%20Shortbread.htm
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Shortbread is technically not a cookie although it is frequently referred to as such. It was originally a bread or biscuit with shortening. The history is interesting.
https://www.englishteastore.com/shortbread-history.html
My favorite recipe for making it includes corn starch which makes it more dense, still crumbly, and seem more rich. I may substitute some rice flour the next time I make it. I don't use a food processor and I melt the butter before I put it into the dry ingredients.
https://www.englishteastore.com/shortbread-history.html
My favorite recipe for making it includes corn starch which makes it more dense, still crumbly, and seem more rich. I may substitute some rice flour the next time I make it. I don't use a food processor and I melt the butter before I put it into the dry ingredients.
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3:2:1 if you use weights rather than cups!
150 grams flour (yes, include small proportion of rice flour)
100 grams butter
50 grams white caster sugar
Salt, yes, but if you use salted butter (I know! Sacrilege in baking!) it's unnecessary.
Scale up as required.
So simple, quick and delicious.
150 grams flour (yes, include small proportion of rice flour)
100 grams butter
50 grams white caster sugar
Salt, yes, but if you use salted butter (I know! Sacrilege in baking!) it's unnecessary.
Scale up as required.
So simple, quick and delicious.
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I dunno about in England, but salted butter in the US is way too salty for baking sweet items.
the recipe with rice flour rather than using regular flour makes a much softer shortbread. I agree with MEW that Rice Flour is the way to go. I am surprised that Melissa does not discuss this substitution since there is a real difference in the 2 flours. .
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Actually, in the lead article, she devotes a paragraph to subbing some rice flour and the reason for dong so. And I have not found that using rice flour makes the shortbread softer, quite the contrary, which is why I use half wheat and half rice.
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Shortbread is good, too, when made with cultured butter. If the butter is salted, as my homemade butter is, omit the salt in the shortbread recipe.
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My grandparents were Scottish and nothing was better growing up than fresh shortbread (made with rice flour) and a hot cup of tea made with sugar and milk. Memories.
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I like to add fresh rosemary to my shortbread.
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Shortbread is my go to using my Scottish Nana's recipe - which is exactly this, right down the salt. So many recipes I've read add other things and/or skip the salt. She would have called that nonsense :)
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Excellent point; some small measure of salt is necessary.
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I keep vanilla sugar in my pantry, and it works well in shortbread.
Slice two vanilla beans lengthwise, and store them with sugar in a closed jar. After 2 or 3 weeks the sugar picks up the vanilla flavor and vanilla aroma. Use the vanilla sugar as needed in recipes, and replace the sugar each time.
Slice two vanilla beans lengthwise, and store them with sugar in a closed jar. After 2 or 3 weeks the sugar picks up the vanilla flavor and vanilla aroma. Use the vanilla sugar as needed in recipes, and replace the sugar each time.
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1. More easier seasoned uniformly than any other shape. (This is important to me!!)
2. Roasts much faster then an intact bid.
3. Easy++ to carve and virtually failure proof.
----SNIP-----
4. The traditional cautions still apply. Wash and thoroughly dry the bird.
--wash and dry ands - wear gloves or both - before doing anything.
--rest longer than usual.
Cut up bird and plate before making gravy!
Make gravy and keep it HOT. rewarm meat and sides as needed and only then apply HOT gravy.
This is not a Q&D method and needs practice. One mastered, you've got a masterpiece in your hands.
Your microwave may not accommodate more than one or two plates. Have the oven going about 275 and USE itl
Beyond tableside appearance, the is the smartest way to roast chicken - or other birds. For other than initial presentation reasons, I'm never going back.
Whikle Ms. Clark certainly did not invent this method, she has made it very popular. (I've seen several semi-Mexican places that marinate whole cut birds [in lemon, lime and copious seasonings, before grilling as noted. In season, I grille mine as well, rather than heating the oven. Try it!! Rest it a while and only then, chop it into suitable pieces.