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.

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.