Biscuit Breton French Shortbread Cookies Recipe 445 Food

BISCUIT BRETON: FRENCH SHORTBREAD COOKIES RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• 1. In a clean bowl, place 3 egg yolks, the butter, and the sugar. 2. Mix until fluffy. 3. Add in flour and salt, mix well. 4. Turn dough out onto floured surface and form into a ball. Add water, if needed. 5. Wrap dough in parchment paper or plastic wrap, than place in the fridge for 30 minutes. 6. Roll dough out to approximately 1/6"/ 4 mm thick. 7. Using a cookie cutter, preferable a fluted one, cut the dough and place on a baking sheet. 8. Mix water and egg yolk, then brush each cookie with the mixture. 9. Using a fork, drag the tips across the top of the cookies, making a criss-cross pattern. 10. Bake at 350F/180C for 10-12 minutes.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.
• Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.

BRETON BISCUITS

Steps:

• Sift both flours, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed until doubled in volume and pale yellow, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the butter in four parts, beating until completely combined after each, 1 to 2 minutes total. With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, beating until combined.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half, and flatten into disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Generously dust a large piece of parchment paper with flour. Place one disk of dough in the center, and roll out to slightly thicker than 1/4 inch. To prevent sticking while rolling, occasionally run a large offset spatula under dough, and add more flour to the top or bottom. Transfer parchment and dough to a baking sheet; chill until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining disk. (You can stack sheets of dough in the freezer.)
• Remove one sheet of dough and parchment from the freezer, and transfer to a clean work surface. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps; roll out again and cut out more rounds. In a small bowl, whisk together the whole egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of rounds. Let stand 5 minutes and brush again. Using a paring knife, score each round in a shallow lattice pattern, making sure not to cut all the way through the dough. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are amber on top and deeply golden around the edges, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer parchment and cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• After each round of dough is brushed with egg wash, a sharp paring knife is used to score a decorative diamond pattern on the top.

SHORTBREAD BISCUITS

Steps:

• Sift flour with salt, then cream the butter and caster sugar together until pale and creamy. With the motor running, gradually add the egg; if the mixture looks like it's curdling then add a tbsp of sifted flour.
• Put the mixer on it's lowest setting and add the flour gradually. Stop mixing as the mixture comes together.
• Roll out onto a floured surface; about 5mm thick. Cut out biscuits using the metal cutter ring. Now bake for about 20-30 minutes until lightly brown in colour.
• Let the biscuits cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

TRADITIONAL RICH SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD BISCUITS - COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix the flour and sugar together in a large bowl, and then rub in the butter - as if you were making shortcrust pastry. Use the tips of your fingers and ensure that all the butter has been rubbed in -- it should resemble sand!
• Then start to knead the paste, pushing it together to form a smooth dough - the heat of your hands whilst kneading helps it form.
• Petticoat Tails:.
• Divide the shorbread dough into two equal parts and shape them into balls, then flatten them out into two rounds - using the heel of your hand, to about 7" in diameter and 1/4" thick.
• Mark the top into equal portions - triangular in shape, and then prick the tops all over with a fork - making patterns if you wish! Crimp the edges as you would a pie crust to make a decorative edge and place them onto a well greased baking tray or cookie sheet.
• (You can also use a greased and lined 7" or 8" fluted edged round sandwich/cake tin - preferably with a loose bottom for ease of taking the shortbread out. Press the dough into the tin and mark out as above).
• Shortbread fingers:.
• Roll out the shortbread dough, and shape into a rectangle, about 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Place onto a well greased baking tray or cookie sheet as before, and mark into "fingers" -- prick over with a fork again. You can also press the dough into an 8" square baking/sandwich/brownie tin - and then mark out the fingers as above.
• (Please Note: The fingers are always thicker than the petticoat tails and shortbread rounds).
• Shortbread Rounds:.
• Roll out the shortbread dough and using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut into rounds of about 2" to 3" in diameter, about 1/4" in thickness. Place them on a well greased baking tray or cookie sheet.
• Wooden Shortbread Mould:.
• You can also place the dough into a decorative wooden shortbread mould, before turning it out on to a greased baking tray. Traditional Scottish wooden moulds can be bought online and usually have a Thistle design with heavily fluted edges.
• Bake the any of the above shortbread biscuits in a pre-heated oven 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for between 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are pale and golden - but NOT brown!
• Sprinkle extra caster sugar over the top as soon as they come out of the oven if you wish.
• Allow the shorbread bicuits to cool slightly on a cooling rack, before cutting into fingers or "petticoat tails".
• Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight tin or container. NB: These will last for about 10 to 14 days in a cool, dry and dark pantry. They can also be frozen with great results!