Mean Chefs Classic Shortbread Cookies Food

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD COOKIES IN 4 INGREDIENTS WITH ADDED 1 INGREDIENT VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add the flour, salt, and powdered sugar to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add in the vanilla, the butter and the 1 teaspoon of water. Pulse together just until a dough is formed. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 5 inches long. Tightly twist each end of the wrap in opposite directions. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Slice the log into 1/3-inch thick disks. Arrange on nonstick cookie sheets, parchment lined or silpat lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are just light brown, about 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans half way through the baking process. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and cool until room temperature. Enjoy!
• Variations:
• Pulse together the tea with the flour and salt in a food processor just until the tea is in small pieces evenly distributed throughout the flour. Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, the butter and the 1 teaspoon of water. Continue as instructed above.
• Pulse the toasted and chopped pecans into the dough and then shape into a flattened round disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. On a flour dusted surface, roll the dough out to approximately 1/3-inch thick. (If the dough is too hard to roll or begins to crack, let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes until pliable.) With a sharp knife, cut the dough into rectangle shapes about 1 by 3-inches. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets and follow the cooking instructions as above. Dust slightly cooled cookies with powdered sugar through a fine mesh strainer.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-12-1/2-inch jelly roll pan and line it with parchment, then butter the paper.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low until the dough is just combined; do not overwork.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, spreading it out as evenly as possible with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, then use your hands to press and flatten the dough into a smooth even layer. Remove the plastic and cut the dough with a sharp knife into approximately 1-by-3-inch bars. Use a fork to prick a decorative pattern into the tops.
• Bake, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through, until golden, 60 to 70 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pan, then re-cut the bars along the previous cuts. Carefully lift the bars off the parchment with a small spatula and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Beat 2 sticks butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Whisk 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt, then stir into the butter mixture. Press into a buttered 8-inch square or 9-inch round tart pan. Score into wedges, strips, squares or diamonds with a fork, then chill 30 minutes. Bake about 1 hour at 300 degrees. Cool, then slice along the scored lines.

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.

MEAN CHEF'S CLASSIC SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with parchment.
• Combine butter, sugar and salt in a stand mixer (use paddle attachment).
• Mix on low speed until the butter combines with the sugar, but isn't perfectly smooth, 1-2 minutes.
• Add flour and mix on low, scraping frequently, until dough has just about pulled together, about 3 minutes.
• Don't overmix.
• Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a uniform 1/4 inch.
• Cut dough into bars or squares with a sharp knife or use a cookie cutter.
• Reroll scraps- refrigerate dough if it becomes sticky.
• Arrange on baking sheets and refrigerate until chilled- about 20 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees.
• Bake cookies until golden on the bottom and edges and pale to golden on the top- 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Rotate baking sheets every 15 minutes.
• Cool.
• Variations: Brown sugar and oatmeal- use brown sugar in place of white and add 1/2 cup quick cooking oats with the flour.
• Chocolate dipped espresso- Add 2 Tbl finely ground espresso coffee beans with the flour.
• Dip half of each cooled cookie into melted chocolate (9 oz semisweet chocolate melted with 1 Tbl vegetable shortening).
• Place cookies on parchment line sheetpan to set up- 2 hours.
• Orange-Hazelnut- Add 2 1/2 oz (1/2 cup) skinned, toasted and finely ground hazelnuts (use food processor) and 2 tsp (loosely packed) finely grated orange zest from 1 orange along with the flour.

MEAN CHEF'S FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Pour oil in a deep fryer or heavy saucepan to reach halfway up the sides of the pan.
• Heat to 325 degrees F, use a deep fry thermometer to determine this.
• While the oil is heating, peel the potatoes and push through a French fry cutter to form uniform sticks.
• As you go, place the cut potatoes in a bowl of ice water to release some of the starch and to keep them from browning.
• Dry the potato strips thoroughly, this will keep the oil from splattering.
• Fry the potatoes in batches so the pan isn't crowded and the oil temperature does not plummet.
• Cook for 3 minutes until they are soft but not browned.
• Remove the potatoes with a long-handled metal strainer and drain on brown paper bags.
• Bring oil temperature up to 375 degrees F.
• Return the par-fried potatoes to the oil in batches and cook a second time for 4 minutes until golden and crispy.
• Drain on fresh brown paper bags then place in a serving bowl lined with paper towels.
• Salt and serve immediately.

MEAN CHEF'S DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES WITH PECANS

Steps:

• Position 1 rack in the top 1/3 and another in the bottom 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over hot, simmering water.
• Remove from the heat but keep the chocolate mixture over a bowl of hot water to ensure that the mixture does not set.
• In a small bowl, combine the vanilla extract and the espresso powder and whisk until the espresso powder is dissolved.
• Stir the espresso mixture into the chocolate mixture.
• Combine the eggs and both sugars in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer (you can double the recipe and it will fit a 5 or 6 qt mixer bowl).
• Set the bowl over a pan of hot, hot simmering water.
• Stir with a hand-held wire whisk until warm to the touch.
• Attach the bowl to the mixer stand.
• Using the wire whip attachment, whip the mixture on high speed until pale, thickened and cool, about 5 minutes.
• Fold into the warm chocolate mixture.
• Fold in the flour.
• Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.
• Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the 2 prepared pans leaving about 1 to 1/2 inches between the cookies (at work I make these a lot bigger so that they come out about 5 inches across).
• Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are set: switch the positions of the baking sheets halfway through the baking time for even baking.
• Cool the cookies on the baking sheets on wire racks for about 3 minutes, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
• Repeat with the remaining dough.

DANESCOOK COOKIE MOLD CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add 2 cups flour and mix until dough is smooth. If dough feels sticky add additional 1/4 cup flour as needed.Dough should be soft but not sticky.
• Spray cookie mold lightly with vegetable pan spray.
• Flour mold, shake out excess. Firmly press dough into mold, making sure dough is even.
• Prick surface with fork and bake in mold 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool in mold 15 minutes.
• Loosen edges of shortbread with tip of knife and flip mold over onto cooling rack. Makes 4 cookies.
• Note:For Cookies Press dough in mold and bake flowing recipe directions. For best results, bake in mold. For easier handling, place mold on a cookie sheet before baking. If desired, to make more than one cookie at a time, you may release dough from mold and bake directly on cookie sheet. To unmold after cooling, run knife blade on the edge of mold and release.
• For Candy: Freeze mold at least 20 minutes before molding candy. Melt Chocolate or confectionery coating as directed on package. Fill mold cavity to top; freeze approximately 10 minutes to set and release.
• For Rolled fondant: It's easy to create a fondant "plaque" to add dimension to any type of cake. Press fondant paste lightly into cavity, then release.
• Cool mold completely before washing. To clean hand wash in warm soapy water; rinse thoroughly.

MEAN CHEF'S PECAN CARDAMOM SAND COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• I an electric mixer cream butter, shortening, both sugars and vanilla until mixture is well combined.
• Sift dry ingredients together and add to mixer along with chopped pecans.
• Combine well.
• Either use a small portion scoop or roll pieces of dough into 1 - 2-inch balls.
• Arrange on parchment-lined sheet pan.
• Place a pecan half on top of each round, sprinkle with a little sugar and press down with the bottom of a glass to flatten to about 1/4-inch thick.
• Bake until very pale golden.
• Cool.