Toffee Chocolate Chip Shortbread

One. More. Week. 

That is exactly how long there is until my "retirement." Well......7 days, 6 hours, 12 minutes and 35 seconds........but who's counting? ME. I am. Very much. 

Quitting my job is genuinely frightening. As much as I loathe don't like my day job it has this annoying habit of providing a sense of security....and pays bills. 

As excited as I am to be moving on to a new adventure, there are two parts of my personality battling it out in the back of my head. 

Me: FREEDOM! 

Me: OMG, money! I need money! 

Me: You'll be so much happier! 

Me: I'll be broke! Poor! What if I fail and lose it all?! 

Me: But you can sleep in everyday! 

Me: Oooooh....sleeeeeep.....

The side that gets the most sleep always wins...big part of why I don't have kids yet, either. Hmmm. 

I find my retirement nerves are only truly satisfied with Pinterest and baked goods. Probably why I've already made spritz cookies and cinnamon slowflakes already this week! The closer I get to the big day the more I find myself in the kitchen!...and pouting in bed that I still have to wake up! lol. 

The latest batch I made is your basic log, cut and bake shortbread. To jazz it up I through in some mini chocolate chips and toffee chunks. By some I mean a ton.  Some people medicate with pills, some with toffee bits! You don't blog this much without a healthy appreciation for eating your feelings! :) 

I hope you enjoy! 

Toffee & Chocolate Chip Shortbread

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

2/3 cup toffee pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flours and mix well. Add chocolate chips and toffee pieces and mix again.

Shape dough into a log, wrap in wax paper and allow to rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut into 1/8th inch thick slices. Place cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Chill in refrigerator for another half hour.

Remove from fridge and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack.

Cinnamon Snowflakes

These adorable snowflakes are going to be my new go to cookie for the holidays! These and my homemade thin mints, chocolate rum strip cookies and lofthouse style sugar cookies round out my cookie plates!

These pretty little cinnamon stars are another variation on my favorite shortbread recipe with some Vietnamese cinnamon added. Simple? Yes, and that's the beauty! It lets the delicious cinnamon shine through! Sometimes it's the simple flavors that come out the best!

I've gone on and on about Vietnamese cinnamon before, and if you haven't heard my spiel yet here it is again: I adore it! I buy Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzey's and give it away as gifts! It's that wonderful! I can't recommend it enough. I buy a nice big bag and store it in a jar in my fridge. It preserve the flavor, and this is a flavor worth preserving!

I hope you enjoy these as much as me and my friends have!

Cinnamon Snowflake Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

2 tsp. Vietnamese cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add dry ingredients and mix well.

Shape dough into a disc, wrap in wax paper and allow to rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface to roughly an 1/8th inch thick. Cut the dough with a small star cookie cutter, and place cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Chill in refrigerator for another half hour.

Remove from fridge and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack.

Allow to cool before icing.


Piping Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water

Mix ingredients together. Add more sugar or liquid until the consistency you desire is acquired. I used a very thick icing for piping!

Pipe snowflakes over the shape of the star.

Return the iced cookie to the cooling rack and allow icing to set for roughly an hour.

Chocolate Almond Spritz Cookies

It's the most wonderful time of the year!...unless you are a baker. Then it's the most painful for your feet time of the year! All the hours of baking? Oof. I can't feel my feet at the end of the day! But then again, when I finally kick my feet up there are so many cookies to enjoy! 

I took the last week off my day job (only 12 more days of that!) and baked my little heart out. It was glorious. I am so excited for this to be my normal day! Also going to have to start running........and get a stick with a cookie on string......

My all time favorite holiday cookie will ALWAYS be the sprtiz cookie. I love my OXO cookie press. It's easy, it's fast, and looks beautiful. Spritzes are the perfect cookie. I can whip up a beautiful batch start to finish in 20 minutes! 

For this new spritz cookie I went for chocolate almond! It tastes like a cherry bonbon!  I took my favorite shortbread recipe, added a wee bit of dutch cocoa and a wee bit of almond flavoring. After they were baked, I added a chocolate almond glaze and some sprinkles! 

Chocolate Almond Spritz Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

2 tbs. dutch cocoa

2 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and almond extract; add dry ingredients and mix well.

Put dough into cookie press and press onto the prepared baking sheets. Place baking sheets in refrigerator for half an hour.

Remove from fridge and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack.

Allow to cool before icing.

Chocolate Almond Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 tsp. almond extract 

1 tbs. dutch cocoa

Mix ingredients together. Add more sugar or liquid until the consistency you desire is acquired. I used a very runny glaze, but you may prefer something more thick for piping!

Lightly set the cookie top-side-down on the icing. Gently remove and allow excess to drip off.

Return the iced cookie to the cooling rack, sprinkle as desired and allow icing to set for roughly an hour.

Iced Shortbread

Do you like shortbread? I do. It's the simplest of all cookies. When I'm feeling incredibly lazy, but I want a treat (and really, don't you always want a treat when you feel lazy?) it's my go to recipe.

You may notice that powdered sugar and cake flour are not the norm. I've recently tried to find a way to make the shortbread a bit more dainty, and I think these two changes make a big difference. The dough is so soft and lush that it can be difficult to roll out. I recommend putting it in the refrigerator to chill before attempting to roll, and even once cut, having a second chilling time won't hurt.

Cheers!

Shortbread

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flours and mix well.

Shape dough into a disc, wrap in wax paper and allow to rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface to roughly an 1/8th inch thick. Cut the dough, and place cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Chill in refrigerator for another half hour.

Remove from fridge and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack.

Allow to cool before icing.

Icing 

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water or milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract (preferably clear vanilla extract)
food coloring (if desired)

Mix ingredients together. Add more sugar or liquid until the consistency you desire is acquired  Lightly set the cookie top-side-down on the icing. Gently remove and allow excess to drip off. If necessary, use a knife to gently push the icing to the sides of the cookie.

Return the iced cookie to the cooling rack and allow icing to set for roughly an hour.

Parmesan Thyme Shortbread

After all the sweets at Christmas some salty shortbread is a great way to ease the sugar rush. The thyme accentuates the flavor of the Parmesan and makes for a bright cookie that would easily pair with a sparkling wine (or Sparkling grape juice!) for New Years. 

I promised you when I went to the  Metropolitan Cooking & Entertainment Show that I was going to try my hand at making the Parmesan thyme, cheddar (and rosemary) and white chocolate salted oatmeal cookies I tried from Cookie Zen.....and I came through! I've already made the sharp cheddar Scottish shortbread and the  white chocolate salted oatmeal cookies so it was time to round out the batch! The Scottish shortbread should go well with red wines, and the oatmeal would be similar to these lovely little Parmesan ditties and go well with the sparkling wines (and juices). Wondering about all the (things in parentheses?). I don't drink. I'm dry tipsy. The alcohol in cough syrup is enough to make me dance on a table! Okay, so that's an exaggeration, but I trust these wine suggestions from Cookie Zen. 

I have recipes for plenty of the cookie pairings they recommend, so for New Years why not whip up batches of these cookies to pair with the wine you'll be drinking at your parties? Fun and inventive, I'm sure your guests will enjoy it. And the kids can join in too with their sparkling juices (like me)! 

Cherry Tea Cakes Pairing Guide: 

Sparkling Wine/Sparkling White Grape or Peach: Parmesan Thyme Shortbread (recipe below), white chocolate salted oatmeal cookies and lemon basil shortbread

White Wine/ Sparkling White Grape or Pear:  gingersnaps, lemon coconut sables, and macarons

Red Wine/Sparkling Red Grape:  shortbread, chocolate hazelnut biscotti, and sharp cheddar shortbread

It's a really fun idea, for New Years or book club parties! I hope you enjoy it and these cookies! 

Parmesan Thyme Shortbread

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 

1 cup flour

1 tsp. thyme 

Using electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together butter, salt, and black pepper at medium speed just until blended. Add Parmesan and flour and mix at low speed just until mixed thoroughly. Use your hands to gather the dough into a ball and then press into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for half an hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/2-inch-thick round. Sprinkle thyme over top and proceed to roll dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into one inch squares and place one and a half inches apart on the lined cookie sheets.

Bake until lightly golden and beginning to brown on edges, about 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on sheets.

Sharp Cheddar Scottish Shortbread

The sharp cheddar crisped inside and out of this Scottish shortbread is addictive. These savory cookies are hard to put down.

Did I say they were hard to put down? Apparently they are also hard to keep your hands on! Butchie picked out an "ugly" cookie for us to split. I turned my back and she ate my half! So she picked out another less-than-ideal cookie for me to try. She. Ate. It. Too. [I apologize for nothing. Move faster next time. --B.]

Needless to say SHE loved these cookies right off the bat. Took me a few hours to actually get to eat one for myself! Not fair!....okay, so I was horribly busy. These little ditties are just one of the many treats we put together for joint efforts at holiday treat boxes for our friends. Butch made a few things, I made a few things, and then we spent a whole night making cookies together. By the end of the night we had twenty different "combo packs" of two very different varieties, hurting feet and bags under our eyes. It was a LONG night. [So long I needed to eat extra cookies for fuel. Lots of extra cookies. --B.]

I've hardly finished eating the last of the cookies and I already and plotting my next batch. Butchie may not be invited, but only so I can get a few to eat as well!

If somehow this post makes it up without her additions (sad! they are so funny!) it is because she is out West for her father's retirement from the Air Force. [24 years as an F-15 pilot, with more time spent in the cockpit of that plane than anyone on active duty as of today. Why yes, my dad IS a rock star. Oh hey, I made it to the post in time! --B.] He's getting a nice big ceremony that she wouldn't miss for the world. [Lucky you, I managed both :) Anyway, these cookies are delicious, even if they're more like a cheese cracker than a "cookie," exactly. Enjoy! And many congratulations to my dad, who might just end up lucky enough to have a batch of these made for him while I'm home. --B.]

Cheers!

Sharp Cheddar Scottish Shortbread

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

8 ounces extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Using electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together butter, salt, black pepper, and cayenne at medium speed just until blended. Add Cheddar and flour and mix at low speed just until smooth. Press dough into disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for half an hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch-thick round. Using 1 1/2 round cutter, cut out rounds and arrange 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets.

Bake until lightly golden and beginning to brown on edges, about 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on sheets.

Butterbeer Ice Cream Sandwiches

For the big debut of the latest Harry Potter I made an ice cream sandwich inspired by butterbeer, which is said to taste like butterscotch and short bread cookies!

One line reminder to vote for my entry in the California Raisin Let's re-Do Lunch Competition! Vote Daily!

Anybody else a little tired this morning? I AM DEAD! Because of COURSE I went to see the Harry Potter Premier last night! Yes, I am just barely in the age group that grew up with Harry Potter. The first movie came out my senior year of high school....and two college degrees later.....we're on the seventh movie! Crazy!

Okay, so my youth is totally showing. But you can't deny it. Harry Potter is HUGE! Which means there has got to be at least one Harry Potter fan that you're friends with and they'll love your for making them a bit of butterbeer or butterbeer ice cream sandwiches!

Not only did I make butterbeer this week, but when I read that butterbeer is supposed to taste like shortbread cookies and butterscotch....well, it was an easy call to make: butterscotch  shortbread cookies ice cream sandwiches! and yes, I ate them for breakfast this morning before running off to an 8:30 staff meeting. I really have a problem with eating ice cream sandwiches for breakfast when I'm running late!

Butterbeer Ice Cream Sandwiches

(butterscotch shortbread cookie sandwiches)

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoons butter

1/2 tablespoons vanilla

2 1/4 cups cream, divided

1 cup milk

3 egg yolks

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, stir brown sugar, butter, and vanilla until butter is melted, sugar dissolved, and the mixture is bubbling. Stir in 1/4 cup of cream and continue to stir until mixed thoroughly. Remove butterscotch mixture from heat and allow to cool. 

In a stand mixer combine the egg yolks and butterscotch mixture.  Beat for one minute, then mix in the milk and cream gradually.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to churn until finished and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Shortbread Cookies

2 cups unsalted butter, unsalted
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter powdered sugar, and vanilla  in a large bowl. If the dough is too crumbly add another 2 tablespoons of butter.

Roll dough out to half an inch thick and cut into small shapes using cookie cutters, or into squares using a knife. Place the cookies one inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 14-15 minutes or until set, and the bottoms are a light golden brown. Immediately remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

To Assemble the Ice Cream Sandwiches:

Place a scoop full of ice cream on an upside down cookie. Using a second cookie press down on top of the scoop of ice cream to form a sandwich. 

Place in the freezer to freeze until fully hardened. I pressed butterscotch chips into the sides of mine. Their optional but add a delightful touch of whimsy. 

Enjoy! 

Lemon Basil Flower Shortbread Cookies

The initial peppery taste of the basil flowers in these cookies quickly gives way to their more subtle sweetness, easily balanced with the lemon to create a sweet and savory shortbread.

Butch and I had a heck of a time this week. Let’s just say that not everything went according to plan. That seems to be the theme in my life lately, and hers too from what I gathered over our dinner conversation.  Without disclosing excessive personal information, well, that wh0le story gets hard to tell.  Geez. Sorry that’s so boring! Um, uh…we’re loved. [Sometimes well, sometimes very very badly. –B.] And hopefully you still love me too after that train wreck of an introduction! Haha! 

Speaking of train wrecks….we also made some ice cream that you’ll notice isn’t in this post. Lemon Verbena Buttermilk ice cream just sounds SO good. It even looked beautiful. Sad thing is it tasted bitter. And even after adding more sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, etc. it was edible, but not postable. I’ll spare you that recipe.  I’m personally inclined to blame the buttermilk base recipe I experimented with. I think I’m going to make a second attempt using my sweet cream recipe. [Lemon verbena is such a delicate flavor it’s easy to overwhelm, and buttermilk isn’t exactly shy and retiring, as dairies go. –B.]

Luckily, however, the shortbread we were going to pair with it turned out beautifully! I love how the green basil remains green despite the baking process. It’s an absolutely beautiful cookie, fresh, refreshing and an excellent munching treat. I took them to Trivia for my friends and they were gobbled up. It also gave me a chance to try out cooking with my basil flowers! Which I am so excited about!

Cooking with the flowers of an herb is simple. Their flowers taste like the herb, only milder. Basil flowers taste like basil, just less dense in flavor. You can replace the basil in any recipe with basil flowers just be prepared to put in a ton more! I’d recommend them as a garnish! 

basil flowers, lemon verbena and lemon basil shortbread cookies

Lemon Basil Shortbread

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 or 2 T. lemon peel (to taste)

2 T. basil flowers or 1 ½ T. fresh basil leaves chopped

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), cold and cut into small pieces

To begin to make the shortbread, in a small bowl beat together egg and vanilla extract until yolk is broken up and evenly combined; set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add butter and mix until mixture looks like sand. Add egg mixture and mix just until dough comes together. Add lemon zest and basil. Form into a flat, rectangular disk, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375°F. Place dough on a 14-inch piece of parchment paper, lightly flour, and roll into a 13-by-8-inch oval, about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer parchment paper with dough to a baking sheet, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate again for 15 minutes.

Cut each cookie into a small circle using either a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass.

Place on a baking sheet and cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.