Grapefruit Vanilla Shortbread Food

VANILLA SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Whisk the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy. Beat in the vanilla until incorporated.
• Reduce the speed to low and gradually add flour mixture. Beat, scraping the bowl occasionally, until the dough comes together in large clumps.
• Transfer the dough to a gallon-size resealable plastic freezer bag and press into a 1-inch thick, 9 by 5-inch rectangle. The bag is 9 inches wide, so you're pressing the dough to the edges. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut the dough into thirds to form rectangular logs that are 3 inches wide. Cut each log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the slices on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1/2 inch apart.
• Bake one sheet at a time until the edges are browned and the tops are golden, 14 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely on the sheets on wire racks. The shortbread keeps at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

GRAPEFRUIT-VANILLA SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Lightly butter pan. Pulse grapefruit zest, vanilla extract, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a food processor until smooth and homogenous. Add flour and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; pulse just to combine. Press dough evenly into prepared pan, smoothing top with a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Prick shortbread all over with a fork 1"-2" apart, and bake until edges are golden and center is pale but firm to the touch, 15-18 minutes.
• Remove band from pan and immediately cut shortbread into 16 wedges. Let cool.
• Whisk grapefruit juice, a pinch of kosher salt, and remaining 1 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl until smooth. Spread a thin layer of icing over shortbreads with a small offset spatula, leaving a thin border of crust exposed. Top as desired. Let sit 10-15 minutes to allow glaze to set. Retrace cut marks.
• Do Ahead
• Dough can be pressed into pan 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

PINK GRAPEFRUIT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Beat the butter, egg yolk, 2 tablespoons grapefruit zest and the salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup confectioners' sugar and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and gradually beat in the flour until incorporated.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and dust with flour. Gently knead a few times until soft but not sticky, dusting the surface with more flour as needed. Roll out to slightly thicker than 1/4 inch thick and cut out circles with a 2-to-2 1/2-inch-round cookie cutter. Gather the scraps and reroll to cut out more cookies.
• Arrange the cookies 2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are firm and golden brown on the bottoms, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Whisk the remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon zest in a bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in up to 1 tablespoon more grapefruit juice until the glaze is spreadable. Tint pink with food coloring. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon glaze on each cookie. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

JASMINE SHORTBREAD SANDWICHES WITH GRAPEFRUIT CURD

Steps:

• Beat together butter and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the tea, and beat on low speed until just combined (do not overmix). Form dough into 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between pieces of parchment to a 1/8-inch thickness. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes. Cut out 20 squares with a 2 3/4-inch square cookie cutter, then cut each in half to make 40 rectangles.
• Gently press 1 flat side of 20 rectangles in sanding sugar, and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, sugar side up. Bake until pale gold, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cookies cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining rectangles.
• Spread 1 generous teaspoon curd onto unsugared side of half the cookies, then sandwich with remaining cookies.

SUGAR-DUSTED VANILLA SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a food processor. Cut the butter into small pieces and drop them into the bowl, then whizz until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, vanilla and egg yolks and whizz to a smooth dough.
• With your hands, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a sausage shape about 25cm/9in long and 5cm/2½in in diameter. Wrap the roll and chill for at least 1 hour. (The roll can be frozen for up to 6 weeks. To use, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for one hour at room temperature so that the dough is soft enough to be sliced into biscuits.)
• Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C and lightly grease 2 large baking sheets. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into slices, each a generous 5mm/¼in thick, then arrange them on the greased baking sheets, spacing the biscuits slightly apart so they have a bit of room to spread as they cook.
• Bake for 20 minutes until the biscuits are just turning pale golden around the edges, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dust generously with icing sugar. The biscuits will keep fresh for up to one week stored in an airtight tin.

MELT - IN - YOUR - MOUTH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Whip butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in the confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Beat on low for one minute, then on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Drop cookies by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Watch that the edges don't brown too much. Cool on wire racks.