Butter, sugar, flour. You’d think, after Saturday’s baking marathon, we’d be finished with cookies. But we’ve got to bring something simple to a party. And we’re looking ahead to our Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes. So, today, we’re making Shortbread, sweet and savoury. It’s finally time to make SSJ’s Classic Shortbread and Parmesan Shortbread Two Ways: Plain and Ranch. Here are copies of the recipes I added to the SSJ Recipe Box this morning.

Print Recipe

Classic Shortbread

A thick buttery biscuit. The perfect all-in-one treat.

Servings: 20

Ingredients

• 3½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

• Sift the flour into a bowl, stir in the salt, and set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a bowl with either a hand blender or a good old wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar.
• Add the vanilla to the wet ingredients and mix to incorporate.
• Add the flour to the wet mix and process on low or stir until the dough comes together. If it still looks a bit grainy after a minute or two in the mixer, use your hands to gently form the dough into a ball.
• Divide the dough in two balls, wrap in plastic, and press each ball into a square-ish disc.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes. [Dough may also be chilled for several hours or overnight but will need to be brought back to a pliable temperature by resting on the counter for 45 minutes to an hour before baking.]
• Heat the oven to 350℉ and line two cookie sheets with parchment.
• Between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper, either:

  A) Roll the dough into ½-inch thickness [that's right, 1/2-in thick!] and cut into 3½x1-inch rectangles with a pizza cutter OR cut with a sharp firm cookie cutter.

  OR

  B) Roll the dough into 1½-to-2-inch balls [about 2 tbs] and press flat with a glass OR with a floured cookie stamp, trimming the edges with a circular cookie cutter if desired.
• Place the cookies onto parchment lined cookie sheets.
• Optional: Poke shortbread rectangles or flattened discs with the tines of a fork.The cookies don't really need this for aeration, but it's a very classic look.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the cookies just begin to turn golden on the edges.
• Place cookie trays on wire racks and cool for 3-5 minutes before removing the trays and allowing the shortbread to cool completely.*
• Enjoy!

Notes

I love this shortbread just the way it is! But, feel free to do a little zhuzhing by:

1. Gently dipping unstamped cookies in a plate or shallow bowl full of 1/3 cup granulated or translucent decorator sugar before baking, or by sprinkling that sugar on top of the cookies and patting in very gently
2. After baking and cooling, melt 4-6oz of white, milk, or dark chocolate, and dip one half of the cooke in the chocolate, followed by a snow of decorator sprinkles, if desired. Place on parchment until the chocolate sets.

Print Recipe

Parmesan Shortbread, Two Ways

Enjoy this savoury shortbread on its own or with the addition of a grocery store staple: powdered ranch dressing mix.

Ingredients

• 1⅛ cup all purpose flour [sifted]
• ¾ cup fresh grated Parmesan
• ½ cup unsalted butter [room temperature]
• 1 egg yolk
• 1½-3 tbsp powdered ranch dressing mix [ours is from Bulk Barn]

Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer or by hand, mix the flour, cheese, butter, egg yolk and, if you're making a full batch of ranch, the 3 tbs ranch, until the mixture starts to form small balls. [Don't add the ranch powder yet if if you're making a half batch.]
• Use a spatula, spoon, or your cool, clean hands to form the dough into one ball, and then divide that dough in half.
• [If you only want to make half the batch ranch, place one ball in a bowl, add 1½ tbs powdered ranch dressing, and stir the dough until just combined.]
• On a gently floured surface, form each dough ball into a cylinder, about 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap, and tap in the edges so that they are as flat as possible.
• Refrigerate the cylinders for 1 hour.
• Heat the oven to 350℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment or silpat.
• Slice each cylinder into approximately fifteen ½-inch-thick slices, trimming the ends if necessary.
• Place the slices on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the edges of the plain discs are barely golden. The ranch flavoured discs will brown much more considerably. Just don't let them burn!
• Cool the shortbread on its parchment-lined sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then, remove the hot sheet and allow the shortbread, still on its parchment, to sit on the wire rack until it has cooled completely.
• Enjoy!

Notes

The savoury shortbreads keep in a sealed container for 3-5 days. Sliced, unbaked shortbread discs may also be flash frozen on a tray, then removed to an airtight container or freezer bag, and frozen for 3-4 months.

ON THIS DAY

2024: Boardgame & Cookie Baking Marathon
2023: Holiday Tarot Sketch Sesh & St. Lawrence Market Cheese Tour
2022: A Day of Rest and Relaxation
2021: Wednesday “Fryday”
2020: Gift the Gift of Buzzing Bees Via Plan Canada
2019: Great Canadian Holiday Cookie Bake-Off
2018: St. Lawrence Market Cheese Board
2017: Pyjama Exchange and Pizza Party
2016: Family Pajama Exchange
2015: Pizza, Popcorn, Pajamas, and an Ernst Lubitsch Triple Feature
2014: Last-Minute Monday: Make Holiday Bark for Giving: Host a Bark-Making Party for the Kids
2013: Read and Illustrate As You Like it, Acts IV & V
2012: P.M. Pajama Party – Make Cookies for Santa
2011: Santa Baby Cookies