Mama’s Little Baby Loves… Shortbread at Couteau Bonswan

Mama’s Little Baby Loves… Shortbread

Published June 5th, 2006 in Cookies

Earlier this year, I brought some coconut shortbread, hastily purchased from Ithaca Bakery, over to my friend Jenny’s for that week’s “Ladies Night”. We started planning on getting together every Thursday to make sure that our schedules didn’t keep us all from missing out on a little relaxation and catching up. So myself, Jenny, Jess, Sam, and Sara (if not others) met up most Thursdays either for light snacks, heavy snacks, grilling, or what have you.

Well, I got there and guess what Jenny had just pulled out of the oven? Shortbread! Hers was plain and smelled wonderful, but she was concerned that it had browned a bit too much. We put both kinds out on plates and we all had a glass of wine (or two, or…) and got to blabbing. The shortbread from Ithaca Bakery was good, a bit more moist than I usually imagine shortbread as being, but tasty with a hint of coconut. Jenny’s was buttery, and yes, it may have been a bit overbrowned, but I actually much preferred hers and couldn’t get enough of the sandy texture. Things got very giggly that night, mostly due to the wine, but the availability of two kinds of shortbread never makes people glum either.

Today’s post at Accidental Hedonist reminded me of how much I’ve been craving shortbread since that night. It’s not the most healthy cookie, but it definitely hits the spot. I used the recipe in How to Cook Everything, but tweaked it a bit as I didn’t let it chill for quite as long as I should have, formed the dough into a rectangle and scored it, and also added some leftover toasted coconut I had from the Key Lime Bars.

Forming it into the rectangle meant that the edges browned more than the inside, but that’s what I was hoping for. In one batch, I recreated the more moist coconut-tinged cookies on the inside and the outer edges had that browned flakiness that almost tastes like a good pie crust.

Make shortbread. Find your favorite recipe, whether you like moist, buttery cookies or a more crunchy variety. It’s easy, fairly quick, and perfect to have at hand for nibbling on with tea. Or Riesling.

2 Responses to “Mama’s Little Baby Loves… Shortbread”

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1 Laura Rebecca Jun 5th, 2006 at 7:18 pm

Shortbread isn’t something I usually crave, but when I do, nothing else will satisfy.

I haven’t made Rosemary Shortbread in a while, but it’s VERY good — a lovely fragrant cookie.

Rosemary Shortbread

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted
1 Tablespoon honey
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 F and butter generously a 9-inch cake pan or coat lightly a 9-inch round shortbread mold with vegetable oil spray.

In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and honey with sugar until light and fluffy. In another bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and chopped or dried rosemary. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture until just combined.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough about 8 times, or until it just comes together. With floured hands press dough evenly into pan or mold. If using cake pan score dough into 8 wedges with floured times of a fork and with flat sides of tines press edges decoratively. Press small rosemary sprigs on top (optional).

Bake shortbread in middle of oven 20 to 30 minutes, or until pale golden, and let stand in pan for 10 minutes. While still warm, loosen edges from pan with a small knife and invert onto your hand covered with a kitchen towel. Invert shortbread onto a cutting board and cut halfway through round along score marks. Cool shortbread on a rack. Makes 8 shortbread cookies.
2 Stefanie Noble Jun 5th, 2006 at 7:32 pm

That sounds excellent. Shortbread is the perfect base for the more “savory” flavors.

Also, hello Finger Lakes!

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