Shortbreads I Have Known: McTavish Shortbread

When I sent out requests to shortbread companies for samples to include in the "Shortbreads I Known", Denise Pratt of McTavish Shortbread responded with a wonderful assortment of goodies. I invited a few friends over to taste and enjoy.

McTavish cookies attractively packaged, with distinguishing designs for each flavor:


Cookies are also available in bulk. That's how we received the delicious traditional butter shortbread.


These generously sized, 3.25-inch cookies remind you of treats fresh from grandmother's oven! The pure butter flavor is balanced with a combination of wheat and barley flours, for a hearty texture and delicious flavor. Sugar sprinkles on top add extra sweetness and another home-baked touch.

McTavish Shortbread Minis are lovely enough for the most formal tea:


These have the same special wheat and barley flour texture as the traditional McTavish cookies, and are packed with flavor. It was difficult to choose one favorite, but Hazelnut and Lemon-Lavender were at the top of our tasters' list. Both the Lemon and Lemon-Lavender shortbread had just the right amount of lemon oil, providing a refreshing taste, but never overpowering the butter.

As if the butter and sugar in McTavish cookies don't provide enough richness, chocolate-dipped shortbread is also available:


The dark chocolate coating is thick and rich. This charming Scotty cookie shape is a reminder of the authenticity of the delicious McTavish family recipe.

No time to bake for the holidays? Treat your family and friends to a taste of Scottish delight with McTavish Shortbread.

Betty's Peanut Butter Shortbread

It's been awhile since Shortbread Day, and I've gotten several reminders that I've been neglecting this blog.

How the weeks fly by!  I've been learning to bead,

 

experimenting with new felting techniques,

and stitching like crazy for upcoming Winterfest.

 

And there's been some time in the kitchen.  All year I've been wanting to try Bakerella's Cake Balls, but knew I'd have to find an occasion when most of them would leave the house.  Our parish bazaar in mid-September provided the perfect opportunity.

I was feeling quite proud of my time-saving techniques, like baking the cakes in the microwave. 8 minutes and you're done!

I used my county fair winnings to buy a cookie scoop.  This is what I used to quickly form the balls.

But by the time I dipped the 14 dozen balls in chocolate, I was too tired to even take a picture of the finished product.  Making cake balls, however yummy, was definitely out of my system!  It's back to shortbread.

Peanut Butter Shortbread seems so unauthentic, I hesitate to mention it.  But this was one of my absolute favorite concoctions.  I'd intended to top the finished shortbread with melted chocolate, but it was so good, just plain, that I skipped the chocolate.  Can you imagine?

 

Here's the recipe:

Betty's Peanut Butter Shortbread

Pan:  8-inch cast iron skillet

Oven temperature:  300 degrees F

Blend in food processor:

         3 TB   peanut butter (I used chunky)

         1/2 c. unsalted butter

Process in:

         3/4 c. Ultragrain (white whole wheat) flour

         1/3 c. white rice flour

         1/3 c. powdered sugar

         1/4 tsp. salt

Process until well-blended.  Pour ingredients onto a sheet of wax paper and knead into a flat disc.  Press into an 8-inch cast iron skillet.  Prick top with toothpick and press fork around edges.

Bake on middle oven rack for 40-42 minutes.  Immediately after removing shortbread from oven, cut into 12 wedges.  Let cool in pan.

       

Earl Grey Shortbread

Saturday was shortbread day.  And market day, and harvest day, and cooking day:  the very best day!

This week's shortbread, made with Earl Grey tea and lemon, was spectacular.  The tea, with it's touch of bergamot, added an interesting favor that was not overpowering.  The shortbread is something special.  For this time of year it's perfect a perfect dessert with late summer fruits.

Here's the recipe:
Pan:  8 inch cast iron skillet
Oven temperature:  300 degrees F
Baking time:  42 minutes

In coffee grinder, finely grind one bag Earl Grey tea.

Add to food processor with:
         3/4 c. all purpose flour
         1/4 c. white rice flour
         1/3 c. powdered sugar

Process until evenly blended.
Add:
      1/2 c. salted butter
      zest of 1/4 lemon
      squeeze of fresh lemon juice

                                  
Process until well-mixed.
Pour out onto a sheet of wax paper.
Knead and form into a disk.
Press evenly into cast iron skillet.
Prick top of dough with toothpick and press around edges with fork.
Bake just until it begins to turn golden around edge.
Immediately after removing from oven, cut into 12 wedges.
Let cool in cast iron.

Betty's Almond Shortbread

After my first attempt at almond shortbread, I've continued to experiment with the flavor, and now have an almond shortbread recipe that I'll put my name on! 

 

These have a wonderful texture and flavor.  I use almonds with the skins on, to add a bit of color and texture.  I've also switched up the process, blending dry ingredients first, then adding butter. This recipe is a keeper:

Betty's Almond Shortbread
Pan:  8-inch cast iron skillet
Oven temperature:  300 degrees F

In food processor, finely chop 1/4 c. toasted almonds.
Blend in:
         3/4 c. Ultragrain (white whole wheat) flour
         1/4 c. white rice flour
         1/3 c. powdered sugar
Add:
         1/2 t. almond extract
         1/2 c. butter

Process until well-blended.  Pour ingredients onto a sheet of wax paper and knead into a flat disc.  Press into an 8-inch cast iron skillet.  Prick top with toothpick and press fork around edges.

Bake on middle oven rack for 40-42 minutes.  Immediately after removing shortbread from oven, cut into 12 wedges.  Let cool in pan.
       
       

Stamped Shortbread

One of my favorite things to do over lunch break at work is to visit a nearby thrift shop. Looking at the interesting fabrics and notions, books and cooking supplies, always clears my head, reduces stress, and energizes me for the afternoon.

This week I found these pressed glass cookie stamps. One is a shamrock design, the other a heart.

Our rainy Labor Day was the perfect day to give the stamps a try. I doubled my basic shortbread recipe, and added a bit of dried lemon peel for a touch of interest. This recipe made 3 dozen cookies: 1 c. butter
2/3 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. Ultragrain flour
1/2 c. white rice flour
1/2 t. dried lemon peel

After blending ingredients in the food processor, I formed dough into 1-inch balls, rolled them in sugar, then pressed them with the cookie stamps.

I chilled the cookies in the fridge to help firm the stamped impressions, then baked them at 350-degrees for 12 minutes. They are a lovely change of pace from my usual shortbread wedges.

Making this shortbread, I thought about how people learn. The first couple cookies were very tentative and experimental. Then I began forming a few balls in the sugar and stamping them 3 or 4 at a time. By the last dozen, I put all 12 dough balls on the cookie sheet and then stamped them. It was baby steps, walking, running.

I also thought about cookie-making as a meditative experience. I was totally focused on making evenly sized balls of dough, then stamping them evenly, with consistent firmness. Every other thought was gone from my mind. It was a joy!

"Best in Class" Shortbread

Preparing shortbread for this year's county fair brought back memories, expectations, and fears of 4-H baking days some 40+ years ago.  What a thrill it was to see the purple ribbon awarded my shortbread.  It's probably silly to let something as small as a fair ribbon make your day, but this made mine.

I'm a believer that all good things come to those who wait.  Persistent searching paid off when I found this shortbread mold at a local thrift shop earlier in the summer.

A double batch of my basic shortbread recipe baked perfectly in it at 300-degrees.  What a lovely presentation!

But no rest for the wicked.  I've already checked out these library books to get ideas for next year's baking.

Almond Shortbread 1

Yesterday was shortbread day.  I love Saturdays!

One of the most enjoyable parts of this shortbread journey as been reading and learning about cookie baking.  I think I've checked out every book from our public library on cookies.

It's interesting that traditional cookies from so many countries use the same basic shortbread ingredients of butter, sugar and flour.  The amounts, shapes and added flavorings give each cookie it's uniqueness.

I've been wanting to make almond shortbread.  In Jennifer Dorland Darling's book, Cookies for Christmas, there is a recipe for Almond Galettes, with butter/sugar/flour in the same proportions as shortbread.

Another fun part of the shortbread journey has been finding and cooking with ingredients I've not tried before.  The Almond Galettes use almond paste.

Locating almond paste here on the prairie was an exercise in patience.  The store that usually carries it was sold out.  I spent several lunch hours trying to locate it in our other grocery stores, but they don't carry it.  After a week, almond paste was back in stock, and I was on my way, thinking philosophically what it must have been like to have pioneered here in the nineteenth century.

Working with the almond paste was a learning experience.  I cut it in a few chunks and tossed it in the food processor with the butter and sugar.  It's tough stuff!  Even Cuisinart couldn't budge it.  I ended up actually following the Galettes instructions (imagine that), manually crumbling the paste, and re-adding it to the processor.

Only after making the shortbread did I read the almond paste ingredients.  It contains 45% almonds, but  also sugar and glucose syrup. The shortbread came out very soft and sweet, and browned easily.  My husband likes dipping it in milk, but it's not very successful as shortbread.

Though I won't make it again, here's the recipe:

8.07.2010_Almond Shortbread 1
Pan:  two-8 inch cast iron skillets
Oven temperature:  300 degrees F
Baking time:  45 minutes
Ingredients (blended in food processor)
     2/3 c.    powdered sugar
        1 c.     butter (salted)
       7 oz.    tube almond paste
     1/2 tsp. almond extract
     1/2 tsp. dried lemon peel
    1 3/4 c.  wheat flour
       1/2 c.  white rice flour