Lemon Cornmeal Shortbread Food

CITRUS CORNMEAL SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and zest. Mix until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, 2 tablespoons cornmeal, and salt; mix until well combined, about 3 minutes. Halve dough; shape each into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place remaining 1/4 cup cornmeal on a sheet of parchment paper. Roll log in cornmeal to coat. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and space them 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until pale golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on sheet on a wire rack.

CORNMEAL SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the powdered sugar and mix in. Add the vanilla extract and mix in. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended.
• Roll into 1 1/2-inch logs and roll in cornmeal to coat. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least one hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Slice shortbread dough thinly and bake on a silpat or parchment paper for 12 to 15 minutes. The shortbread will still be blonde, and they will crisp once cool.

ROSEMARY-LEMON SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Lightly butter the foil and sides of the pan.
• Pulse the sugar with the lemon zest and rosemary in a food processor until well combined. Remove 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture and reserve.
• Add the butter, salt and vanilla to the food processor with the sugar and pulse until combined. Add the flour, about 1 cup at a time, pulsing to combine after each addition. (After the last addition, you may need to stir and scrape down the sides of the food processor to incorporate all of the flour.) Continue to pulse until a dough comes together.
• Turn the dough out onto the prepared baking pan and press it evenly into the pan. Poke the dough all over with a fork and sprinkle it with the reserved sugar.
• Bake until the edges are golden brown and the center is golden, about 25 minutes. As soon as it's out of the oven, use a bench scraper or knife to cut the shortbread into 1-by-3-inch cookies. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the cookies using the foil as handles. Cool completely on a rack.
• For the icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Whisk in 1 tablespoon water or more for the desired thickness.
• Drizzle the icing over the cookies and allow to set, or serve the icing alongside to dip or drizzle upon serving.

ROSEMARY-CORNMEAL SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• 1. Lightly grease a 9 1/4-inch (23 cm) fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl until well blended. 2. Put the butter and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric handheld mixer fitted with wire beaters). Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the rosemary and vanilla and beat on medium until blended and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the dough forms moist clumps. Dump the dough into the prepared pan. Using lightly floured fingertips, press the dough into the pan to form an even layer. Make sure to press the dough into the scalloped edges to form a clean edge. Sprinkle the fleur de sel or sanding sugar, if using, evenly over the top. 3. Using the tip of a knife or a bench scraper, score the dough all the way through, forming 16 wedges. With the tines of a fork, prick each wedge twice all the way through, starting at the widest part of the wedge and spacing them about 1/2 inch (12 mm) apart. Lightly flour the tines of the fork as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking. Slide the pan into the freezer or fridge for about 10 minutes while the oven heats. 4. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C/gas 2). 5. Bake the shortbread until the top looks dry and very pale brown, 39 to 41 minutes. Move the pan to a rack. Using a small paring or serrated knife (I don't use a bench scraper for this because it compresses the cookies' edges), immediately recut the wedges using the scored lines as a guide. Let the shortbread cool completely before removing them from the pan. 6. Serve the cookies with a dusting of confectioners' sugar.
• Instead of the rosemary, use one of the following combinations: Double ginger: 2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger + 1/3 cup (1 3/8 oz./39 g) finely chopped crystallized ginger (add both with the vanilla). Cinnamon toast: 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon added to the flour + 1 Tbs. granulated sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon sprinkled over the shortbread and pressed lightly into the dough before baking. Espresso chip: 1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder (dissolved in the vanilla extract) + 1/3 cup (2 oz./57 g) finely chopped bittersweet chocolate.
• To make rectangular cookies: Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan (the straight-sided type makes for a cleaner-looking cookie) with parchment. Prepare the dough as directed. Using lightly floured fingertips, press the dough into the pan to form an even layer. Using the tip of a knife or a bench scraper (my tool of choice), score the dough all the way through, forming 1 x 2-inch (2.5 x 5 cm) bars. With the tines of a fork, prick each bar two or three times all the way through, spacing them evenly and on the diagonal. Lightly flour the tines of the fork as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking. Proceed as directed.
• To make round cookies: Have ready two cookie sheets lined with parchment or nonstick liners. Prepare the dough as directed. Arrange a large piece of parchment on the work surface and scrape the dough onto the center. Cover with another piece of parchment and press down on the dough to flatten. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between the parchment to a 1/4-inch (6 mm) thickness, turning, lifting, and repositioning the parchment and lightly flouring throughout the rolling. Slide the dough onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. Remove the top piece of parchment from the chilled dough. Using a 2 1/2-inch (6 cm) round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Using the end of a straw, punch out three holes in the center of each round. Arrange about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Stack the scraps, gently press together, reroll, chill, and cut as directed. Slide the cookie sheets into the fridge while the oven heats (at least 15 minutes). Bake, one sheet at a time, until the tops look dry and very pale brown, 26 to 28 minutes.

CORNMEAL LIME SHORTBREAD FANS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grate 1 teaspoon zest from the limes. (You can usually get 1 teaspoon from 1 lime, but you may need to grate some zest off the other.) Add to a food processor.
• Add flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt and pulse once or twice to combine. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some of the crumbs start to come together, but don't overprocess the dough. It should be somewhat crumbly and not form a ball. (Alternatively, you can mix this in a bowl using two knives, or use a pastry cutter to mix the butter into the flour.)
• Press the dough into an even layer in an ungreased, fluted 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or in a 9-inch pie pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, about 40 to 50 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Using a butter knife, cut the shortbread into 12 wedges while still warm.
• Make the glaze: Halve the zested lime and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice into a small bowl. Whisk in confectioners' sugar and, if you like, more lime juice to taste. (More lime juice will make the glaze thinner and more tart, while less lime juice yields a thicker, sweeter glaze.) Drizzle glaze over the cooled shortbread, then zest the second lime over the icing before it sets. (Use a citrus zester, if you have one, or a regular zester, if you don't.)

SHORTBREAD, 10 WAYS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pulse together flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some of the crumbs start to come together, but don't overprocess; the dough should be somewhat crumbly. (You can also mix the dough in a bowl using two knives or a pastry cutter.)
• Press dough into an even layer in an ungreased 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan, or a 9-inch pie pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes for the 9-inch square or pie pan, 45 to 50 minutes for the 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm.

LEMON & GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and grease a 22cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin. Put the butter in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until soft. Beat in the sugar, then stir in the lemon zest and ginger.
• Stir in the flour and work with your hands to form a soft dough. Tip into the tin and press into an even, flat layer with your fingers. Prick all over with a fork and bake in the oven for 40 mins until pale gold. Cut into wedges then leave to cool completely in the tin. Remove from the tin and dust with caster sugar to serve.

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.