The other name for Procastination is “me”…lol all I wanted was a Summer break….soon it became a fall break and now I had to push myself hard to get back to blogging before a longggg winter break.Our Summer was well spent,enjoyed every bit of it. Wish it lasted for long, its freaky 18F|-8C now. I am not someone who enjoys winter, hate it when it gets dark by 4:30pm,so much to pay attention to clothing – cant step out without layers n layers of clothes – sweaters/cardigans,winter jackets…and lets not forget ear protectors,caps,gloves etc. And how can I forget the main thing…FLU! My little one is down with cold and cough and she passed it on to both of us. Oh my!
Anyways let me stop cribbing and get back to this month’s Daring Baker’s Challenge. Holiday season is the time for sharing and Peta of Peta Eats is sharing a dozen cookies, some classics and some of her own, from all over the world with us.
As a family, we enjoy eating cookies. I make both the sweet and the savory ones, though the later is more preferred. We were asked to choose one of the twelve recipes suggested by Peta.I decided to make the Piped Shortbread Cookies and my Savory Spiced Shortbread Cookies .
The Piped Shortbread Cookies were very easy to make. We loved its texture…it was a perfect melt in the mouth cookies titillating every taste bud and thus making it all the more irresistible. I couldn’t get the perfect rings like the one that Peta made, but nevertheless the taste is all that mattered. The Savory Shortbread Cookies are something that I’ve been making for a while now. I got the original idea from this blog but have worked on it as per my liking. Again,these cookies are easy to make and taste great with different kinds of herbs and spices.
PIPED SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/8 cup cornflour
a teaspoon vanilla extract
nuts,chocolate chips or maraschino cherries for toppingDirections: Preheat the oven to moderate 300°F.Combine butter, flours, vanilla and confectioner’s sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle beater. Mix on low speed until combined and then change to the whisk beater.Beat for 10 minutes.Pipe into rings.Decorate with maraschino cherry pieces to look like little wreaths or leave plain.I used a spoonful of Holiday Fruit mix for topping.Bake in preheated moderate oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned.Cool completely and drizzle with melted chocolate or icing (frosting) if you want to.
To pipe shortbread beat for 10 minutes NO MORE – if you overbeat the mixture it won’t hold when it cooks.
A cool oven is important. If your oven is too hot the butter and sugar boils and you end up with lacy cookies that fall apart as soon as you try to do anything with them.Between piping put the bowl and the piping bag away from your oven so it doesn’t get hot but don’t put it in the refrigerator because it gets too cold and you can’t pipe it.SAVORY SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Ingredients:
4 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ cup all purpose flour
3-4 tablespoon yogurt
3-4 thai green/red chillies minced
1-2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
4-5 mint leaves finely chopped
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon carom seeds
¼ teaspoon sesame seeds
Salt as per tasteDirections : Preheat oven at 325F. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar. When it is creamy, add rest of the ingredients except the yogurt. On low speed, mix all the ingredients. Add the yogurt one tablespoon at a time. At first it will be crumbly(shudn’t be wet) and then when they start coming together, using hands gently knead for a few seconds. Roll the dough into 1/4″ thickness(use flour if needed). Using a cookie cutter make small circles and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, rotating once halfway. Increase the baking time if you prefer extra crispy cookies. Since it doesn’t contain much sugar the top will not brown, but be careful to watch as the bottom will brown soon. They will firm up well once they cool.
Thanks Peta for the lovely challenge.
Bon Apetit!
Nina
