Christmas Cookies - Shortbreads

I only make all these recipes in December and they all freeze well. When I make Christmas cookies, I try to group the varieties. That way, the ingredients or the baking supplies are similar – saves on time, oven time, and dishes.

We’ve already covered shortbread in a previous blog, but I’ll put the recipes in again. I’m sure you’ll see that all the recipes are basically the same except for the type of sugar used. Changing the sugar gives each one a different taste and texture. I use the food processor and mix these one at a time. I put the finished dough in a bowl in the refrigerator, then move on to the next shortbread in the food processor.

When I’m done mixing, I take out the first one I made, roll it out and get them baking while I work on the next kind. One mess, one oven temperature (except for the butter pecan shortbread – I do those first). Another tip: when you roll out cookies, roll them out on cornstarch instead of flour. That way, your cookie dough stays tender.

If you don’t have a food processor for these shortbread recipes, just cream the butter and sugar, mix in the vanilla, then the flour, then any nuts and roll out as directed.

BUTTER PECAN CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

2 c. flour

1/3 c. cornstarch   

½ c. sugar           

1 c. butter     

½ tsp. vanilla

1 c. toasted pecan halves (see the candy blog on toasting nuts)

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

¼ c. butter

2 tsp. honey

More toasted pecan halves  

Place flour, sugar, cornstarch in a food processor.

Mix. Add 1 c. butter and vanilla and process 30 seconds or until crumbly.

Add toasted pecans; pulse additional 5-10 seconds or till well combined.

On a lightly floured surface or in food processor, knead dough just until smooth.

Chill 30 minutes. Divide dough in half; roll out to 1/3" thick. Cut with round cookie cutter,

place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 18 minutes at 350˚F. Cool.

The one on the right got cooked too long.

Place chocolate, 1/4 c. butter and honey in bowl and microwave, till melted, stirring once. Dip each cookie halfway,

place on wire rack, put pecan half in center of each. 3 - 3 ½ dozen.

These are tender, little melt-in-your-mouth shortbreads.

NEW MEXICAN BOLITAS - WEDDING CAKES

2 c. flour

1/3 c. cornstarch

¼ tsp. salt

½ c. powdered sugar

1 c. butter             

1 tsp. vanilla           

1 tsp. almond extract

1 c. finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Powdered sugar    

Place flour, sugar, salt and cornstarch in a food processor. Mix. Add butter, almond extract and vanilla and process 30 seconds or until crumbly. Add nuts; pulse additional 5-10 seconds or till well combined. Form dough into 1” balls and flatten slightly.

Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 375° for 10-12 minutes.

 Cool a few minutes, then roll in powdered sugar. About 4 dozen.

I already put this recipe on another blog, but these are some of my favorite Christmas cookies. This was my grandmother’s recipe.

MIMI‘S SHORTBREAD

2 c. flour

1/3 c. cornstarch    

¼ tsp. salt

 ½ c. brown sugar      

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 c. butter

Place flour, sugar, cornstarch in a food processor.

Mix. Add butter and vanilla and process 30 seconds or until well combined. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough just until smooth. Roll out to 1/4” thick. Cut into squares, prick with fork.

This is the traditional way to make these cookies.

Or cut out with a cookie cutter and stamp with a cookie stamp.

I got this pretty little cookie stamp years ago - just press one lightly onto the cut out cookie after it's on the cookie sheet.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375° for 10-12 minutes just until light golden. Cool on racks.

Enjoy! Next: Bar cookies, drop cookies, and shaped cookies.