Dried Fruit Shortbread Biscuits Food

STRAWBERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Put the butter, sugar, and extract, if using, in the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer. Sift in the strawberry powder to avoid lumps. Cream well. Make sure your strawberry powder is well incorporated and the mixture is streak free.
• Add the flour and pulse about 10 times, then run the machine briefly, just until the dough comes together into a lump or lumps. If using a stand mixer, add the flour on low and mix until the dough comes together.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and finish bringing it together, if necessary, with your hands. When it is smooth with no crumbly spots remaining, form it into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350F
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut out with a cookie cutter. I used a 2 inch cookie cutter for about 20 cookies. I like to refrigerate the cut cookies for 15-20 minutes before baking.
• Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your cookies. I like my shortbread on the softer side, but if you prefer it crunchy, bake a little longer. Don't let them get browned.
• Cool on the pan for about 15 minutes, until the cookies are firm enough to handle, and then lightly brush the edges with egg white, and roll in sparkling sugar. Let dry before eating. Note: you can also brush the edges and roll in sugar before baking, if you prefer.

FRUITCAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Snip off the hard stems of the figs with scissors or a small knife and coarsely chop the figs. In a medium bowl, combine the figs, raisins, cherries, apricots, honey, sherry, lemon juice, pecans, and a pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight at room temperature.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cloves, superfine sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and mix until incorporated. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt just until combined. Don't over mix! Add the fruits and nuts, including any liquid in the bowl.
• Divide the dough in half and place each half on the long edge of a 12 by 18-inch piece of parchment or waxed paper. Roll each half into a log, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4-inch thick, making an 18-inch-long roll. Refrigerate the dough for several hours, or until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• With a small, sharp knife, cut the logs into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place the slices 1/2-inch apart on ungreased sheet pans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden.

RASPBERRY SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Grind the raspberries to a fine powder in a small food processor or spice grinder.
• Combine the butter, flour, raspberry powder and confectioners' sugar in a stand mixer and beat on medium-low speed until a dough forms, about 45 seconds. Remove from the bowl and shape into a disc.
• Sprinkle a sheet of parchment paper lightly with flour. Roll the dough out into an 8-inch round, 1/2-inch thick.
• Using a long knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into triangles. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space in between each.
• Bake until golden brown along the edges, about 18 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving.
• For the lemon whipped cream: Add the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar to a stand mixer and whip until it holds soft peaks. Add the lemon juice and whip to stiff peaks. Garnish with the zest.
• Serve the shortbread with whipped cream alongside or store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

DRIED FRUIT SHORTBREAD BISCUITS

Steps:

• Place the butter, salt and sugar into a large bowl and cream together until smooth. Add the plain flour, rice flour, currants and mixed peel and stir together then use your hands to gently knead together until you get a uniform dough.
• Preheat the oven to 300F and line a cookie sheet with baking paper.
• Roll the dough out to be just less than 1/2-inch thick. Use cutters to cut the dough out. Prick the top of the cookies with a fork. Bake for 25-30 minutes, the cookies will not really brown, they'll just become firm and very slightly golden around the edges.
• Let cool on a wire rack then store in an airtight container.

FRUITCAKE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sift together flour and salt into a medium bowl. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add sugar gradually, beating between additions; continue to beat until mixture is very pale, about 2 minutes total. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture; beat until just combined.
• Combine apricots, cranberries, candied citron, currants, and whiskey or brandy in a bowl. Let dried fruit macerate at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours; drain.
• Add lemon zest to the butter with the sugar. After beating in the flour, mix in drained fruit. Form dough into a 10 1/2-inch log, then a triangle with 2 1/2-inch sides. (Refrigerate dough briefly if too soft to form.) Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets until firm and just golden on edges, about 35 minutes.

ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, rosemary and salt. Add butter, and honey if desired, and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some crumbs start to come together, but don't overprocess. Dough should not be smooth.
• Press dough into an ungreased 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan or 9-inch pie pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes for 9-inch pan, 45 to 50 minutes for 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm.

FRUIT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 170C/ gas mark 4.
• Sprinkle a very light dusting of flour onto the baking tray
• Beat the margarine and sugar together until fluffy. Stir in the flour and chopped dried fruit to make a soft dough.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divided the mixture in to 10-12 even sized balls
• Place them apart on the baking tray and flatten well with the back of the tablespoon.
• Cook for 12-15mins until evenly browned.
• Let cool a little before removing from the tray and placing to cool on the wire wrack.

FRUIT AND NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar. Add yolk and flour. Cut in fruit and nuts. Shape dough into two rolls 2 inches in diameter and roll in waxed paper. Chill overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• While still cold and wax paper still on, take a sharp knife and cut thin slices (1/8 inch). Set on greased cookie sheets, remove wax paper and bake for 10 minutes. (Slightly brown edges).

CITRUS SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts and orange zest. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the cranberries; mixing just enough to evenly combine.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, then roll into logs about 7 inches long. Wrap each log in wax paper or plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Remove wax paper, and cut the cookie dough into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm but not browned, about 10 minutes.

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.