Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies are classic. I have made them dipped in milk chocolate in the past and they are always a hit! I decided to try out a couple of new ideas for a family gathering I recently attended. The first idea came from South End Formaggio where there is always something new to try. I spotted some shortbread cookies with rosemary while shopping around for cheese a couple of weeks ago. Next idea came from a catering event I attended while helping a friend promote his business. It was a very fun and delicious event. I tried some shortbread cookies with white chocolate and pistachios while I was there. They were so good that I had to make them!

The basic recipe is very simple.

Source: Betty Crocker's Cookbook, Page 157

yield: ~ 2 dozen

Ingredients

1 Stick of butter, softened.

1/4 C Sugar

2C Flour (not the rising kind)

Preheat oven to 350 º F. Mix sugar and butter together in large bowl. Add flour. If dough is too crumbly, add in 1-2Tbsp of additional butter. I added 1 more Tbsp and the dough was perfect. Divide dough and add in 1Tbsp of chopped rosemary to one half. I also added in some lemon zest to another piece of dough to try it out. Looks pretty, but I only used about 1/2tsp. and could not really taste it.

Roll out the dough to about 1/2" thickness and cut out cookies to desired shape using a knife or cookie cutter. 

Bake until the edges are golden brown. Approx. 10min. The recipe says to bake up to 20min. or until set. I think it depends on how thin your cookies are. I would keep an eye on them! 

Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. I placed them on a plate and they were fine.

If you are like me in the kitchen, keep an ice pack handy..two fingers fell victim to a hot cookie sheet this time!

Next, prepare your toppings. Here we have some Valrohna Ivoire Feves 35% Cocoa White Chocolate from Whole Foods. I'm not a big white chocolate fan, but this was very good! They came in the shape of small ovals which was good for melting. The milk chocolate was from Trader Joe's. I bought a package of their Milk Chocolate Minis. I would probably go with a better milk chocolate or a darker chocolate next time. 

The milk chocolate became mixed in with the white creating a nice marble pattern on some of the cookies!

The final products:

All were a hit, especially the rosemary

Rosemary

White Chocolate with Pistachio 

Milk and White Chocolate Dipped

Note: I chilled the chocolate covered cookies in the freezer until the chocolate was set. Store in sealed container in the fridge or serve immediately.

There is so much you can do with this recipe. 

Here are some other ideas:

-Add in some toasted, chopped nuts, cardamom, and or cinnamon to the dough mixture

-Add some lemon or lime zest to the white chocolate before dipping

-Use some melted butterscotch morsels for dipping

-Put some chocolate mousse between two cookies for a mousse sandwich

-Create a little shortbread cookie house! ;)

Have fun with it and be creative with your shortbread!