PetiteFoodie’s Holiday Cookie Adventures – Part 2

January 3, 2011 at 12:24 AM | Posted in Cookies, Recipes | Leave a comment
Tags: holiday cookies, Irish Butter Shortbread, lemon, Lemon Cookies, shortbread

Sooo…what mishaps happened on this adventure? No mishaps, just good cookie adventure with an *ahem* “fun” twist. Let me warn you, some of these cookies are a bit PG-rated so please cover the youngin’s eyes!

Of course, anything goes with PetiteFoodie’s Holiday Cookie Adventures! Last time, in my Holiday Cookie Adventures, Grease Monkey and I made Chewy Chocolate-Gingerbread Cookies.

This time, Vegemite Girl joined me in a cookie adventure and decided to make 2 kinds of cookies. The first cookie is a buttery shortbread. She was inspired to make this since one of her coworkers brought shortbread to the office and she was craving for some. Since the shortbread cookie was short and quick, we decided to make another cookie with a citrus twist.

The first cookie we started making is the Lemon Wreath Cookies. Initially the cookies were made into shape of wreaths. After making the first baking sheet of wreath cookies, the wreaths started taking other forms. We started making a tray of other “creative” shaped cookies. Despite the funny shapes, these cookies have a buttery and lemony base. With the lemon glaze, the sweet and tartness of the cookie balances out with the lemony fragrance of the cookie.

 

(1) Pre-baked Lemon Wreaths (2) Pre-baked "Other" shaped cookies (3) Baked Lemon Cookies pre-glazed (4) Baked Lemon Cookies with lemon glaze

Lemon Wreath Cookies

Makes 6 dozen. Adapted from Martha Stewart Living.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• FOR THE GLAZE
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 7 to 8 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 4 lemons)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white nonpareils, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cookies: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Pulse sugar and zest in a food processor until combined, about 2 minutes.
2. Beat sugar-zest mixture and butter in a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until combined.
3. Scoop 1 tablespoon dough (or use a 11/8-inch ice cream scoop), and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 4-inch rope. Bring ends together, overlapping slightly, and press together to form a ring. Repeat with remaining dough. Transfer rings to parchment-lined baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart, as you work. Bake until pale golden on the bottoms and around the edges, about 18 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and let cool.
4. Make the glaze: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Dip the top side of each cookie into glaze, letting excess drip off. Return cookies to wire racks, glaze side up, and sprinkle with nonpareils. Let dry completely.

The second cookie that we made was Irish Butter Shortbread. This cookie recipe is simple and requires only 3 ingredients! Yep, you heard right, 3 ingredients! The shortbread was delicious, not too sweet and definitely melt-in-your mouth! It also tastes really yummy with the lemon glaze that I made for the Lemon Wreaths recipe.

Melt-in-your-mouth Shortbread

 

Irish Butter Shortbread

Makes 3 dozen. Adapted from Martha Stewart Show.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) Irish unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low, slowly add flour. Continue mixing until dough comes together to form a ball.
3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface; roll out dough to about 1/4-inch thickness, dusting rolling pin with flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Using a 2 1/4-inch round, fluted cutter, cut out dough. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart. Gather up any scraps, gently re-roll, and repeat cutting process. Take care not to overwork dough.
4. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until shortbread just begins to turn golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Shortbread may be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Happy Baking everyone!

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