Brazil Nut Shortbread Food

FRUIT AND NUT HOLIDAY SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Make the shortbread cookies: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cream the butter with the sugar in a medium bowl using a handheld mixer. In a small bowl, mix the salt and flour, and then mix into the butter, 1/4 cup at a time, just until uniform. Do not overmix. Gather the dough into a ball; chill for 15 minutes if the dough is beginning to soften or feel greasy. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch and cut into rectangles about 1/2-inch by 2 inches. Place on a cold, ungreased baking sheet. Bake until the edges are just beginning to turn golden, 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the fruit and nut topping: In a small bowl, mix the pecans, cranberries, and chocolate chips with the orange marmalade.
• After 20 minutes, remove the cookies from the oven and spread the fruit and nut topping on the tops of the shortbread. Return to bake for 7 to 8 more minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Best eaten within a day or two of making.

BRAZIL NUT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts and coconut. , Drop by tablespoonfuls 3 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until bottom of cookies are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks.

BRAZIL NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grind the Brazil nuts finely.
• Beat the butter until fluffy, add the sugar and beat until fluffy again--do beat adequately.
• Sift in the flours and the nuts and work to a smooth dough.
• Cover a baking sheet with parchment.
• place a 6" flan ring or tart form on the cookie sheet to use as a guide.
• Press the dough onto the sheet inside the ring to form a neat 6" inch circle.
• Remove the ring and flatten the dought slightly with a rolling pin.
• Prick the circle of dough with a fork and score it into eight wedges.
• Sprinkle with a little granulated sugar and bake for forty minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cut along the score lines and leave to cool for two minutes.
• Lift onto a rack and cool completely.
• If they don't get immediately eaten, store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper; draw two circles, each 7 to 7-1/2 inches.
• Measure flour, cocoa, sugar and salt into the food processor or into the large bowl of electric mixer. Mix well. Cut the butter into thin slices and add to the flour mixture. Mix or process until mixture resembles moist sand. Add the chocolate and nuts and continue mixing until a dough forms. Shape dough into a smooth ball. Cut the dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a smooth ball. Place dough ball onto the center of each circle drawn on the parchment paper. Flatten the round to within 1/2 inch of the inside edge of the round. With a fork, make impressions on the top of each round and use the fork to round off the edges. Sprinkle each round with 1 teaspoon sugar. With a straight knife, cut each round into eight wedges; leave wedges in place.
• Bake for 1 hour or until the shortbread is a light golden color. With a straight-edged knife, cut the wedges apart while still warm.

ALMOND SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Blend and pulse the 1/2 cup nuts in a food processor with the sugar until mixture resembles coarse sand. (If there are a couple small chunks of nuts that is fine.) Add the butter, vanilla and almond extracts, and the salt, and pulse until creamy. Add the flour and continue to pulse to make a soft dough.
• Turn the dough out into a 9-inch tart pan and spread it out evenly with an off-set spatula. Dip the spatula in a little warm water to help smooth and even the surface of the shortbread. Cover and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and dock (prick) the dough all over with a fork. Generously sprinkle the top of the shortbread with sugar. Toss the remaining whole almonds in the egg white; evenly arrange and press the nuts into the dough around the edge of the pan. Bake until golden brown and set, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Cool the short bread in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the tart ring and cut the shortbread with a sharp knife into wedges, each with a nut. Cool shortbreads on a rack completely. (Alternatively present the shortbread as 1 large cookie. Cool the shortbread in the pan completely and remove the tart ring. Cut the shortbread into wedges as desired.) Serve. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

MIXED NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• preheat oven to 375.
• spray an 8x8" pan with cooking spray.
• stir together sugar and butter with a wooden spoon until blended.
• add vanilla.
• add flour and mix with your hands until a soft dough forms.
• spread dough into greased pan pressing down to even.
• sprinkle with nuts and the 1 tbsp sugar.
• bake 20-25 minutes until cooked.
• cut into 18 bars.
• enjoy!

NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cream the butter until it is light. Cream in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
• Stir in the ground nuts, then the flour and cornstarch.
• Knead until smooth on a very lightly floured board. (This dough is sticky).
• Spray the shortbread pan very lightly with a non stick veggie spray.
• Firmly press the dough into the shortbread pan.
• Prick the entire surface with a fork and bake the shortbread right in the pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, or until very lightly browned.
• Let shortbread cool in its pan for about 10 minutes before you loosen the edges with a knife and flip the pan over onto a wooden cutting board.
• If the shortbread does not come right out, tap one edge of the pan.
• Cut the shortbread into serving pieces while it is still warm.

ORANGE AND BRAZIL NUT SQUARES

Steps:

• In bowl, beat together 1/2 cup/125 mL of the butter with icing sugar until light and fluffy; beat in rind.
• Whisk together flour, cardamom (if using) and salt; stir into butter mixture in 2 additions.
• Line 9-inch/ 2.5 L square metal cake pan with parchment paper, leaving 1-inch/2.5 cm hanging over sides.
• With floured hands, pat dough into pan. Bake in centre of 350°F/180°C oven until lightly coloured, 15 to 17 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in small saucepan, bring remaining butter, brown sugar, orange juice and marmalade to boil, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and stir in nuts.
• Spread over cookie base; bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes; lift from pan and, using chef's knife, cut into squares. Let cool on rack.