Thursday, December 16, 2010

Shortbread Cookies



"It's getting to look a lot like Christmas"........ Lacking ingredients like rice flour needed for a friend's treasured family shortbread recipe, I reverted to an old standby....Benson's Cornstarch original shortbread recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter, softened

Sift together the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.  With a spoon, blend in the butter to form a smooth dough.   Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and roll out into 1/4 inch rectangle, and using cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes. If the dough is to soft to handle, refrigerate it for about 30 minutes. Transfer the cookies with a spatula to an ungreased cookie baking tray, spacing them 1 1/2 inch apart. Decorate as desired. Bake in a pre-heated oven 300º F for about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 24 cookies or more depending on the size of the cookie cutters.

22 comments:

  1. They are melt-in-your-mouth pretty. I hardly ever make shortbread and then I come upon something as mouth-watering as this and think, "Why not?!" (Plus I'm afraid to decorate)

    If Santa gets some of these,he is one lucky elf.

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  2. Oh your shortbread looks so marvellous. I must have a go at making some, it has been a long long time. I Just love how they melt in the mouth.

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  3. these cookies look so lovely Anna !

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  4. Hi Claudia, I know it's not a very Italian recipe but I can't resist making these each year. They are simply divine. The cornstarch add a lovely crispness to the cookies.

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  5. Dimah, A very simple recipe but truly decadent and rich.

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  6. Ciao la bella Chiara, I stray from my Italian origins but I agree they are not only pretty but delicious. They would be lovely with a cup of espresso.

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  7. Hi "mangocheeks", Thanks so much for the visit. The cornstarch is the secret ingredient and of course the best non-salted butter for the best shortbread ever. It just isn't Christmas without a batch of shortbread on the table with a nice cup of tea.

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  8. You know how I love a buttery treat, LOL. These sound so melt in your mouth delicious and they are absolutely, festively adorable too.

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  9. This recipe is made just for your my "butter fan" friend. The cornstarch gives it a crispy bite to the shortbread but still melt in your mouth yummy. Ava,I would like to send you warmest wishes for wonderful Christmas with your family....Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo!

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  10. Ann this is the recipe I have been searching for. A family friend would make this for us every Christmas but she passed away a few years ago and so did her recipe. When I tried your recipe last Christmas, floods of emotions came back. Thank you for sharing.

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  11. Made these cookies last night. Delicious and mouth watering. Will bake tonight again. Thanks for the recipe!

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  12. This was the recipe I was looking for. Just like the Christmas Shortbreads my mom used to make every year. Merry Christmas!

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