Shortbread Tombstones Food

SHORTBREAD TOMBSTONES

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla. Sift together flour and cornstarch, and stir this mixture thoroughly into the creamed mixture. Stir in grated chocolate. Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, and form the dough into a flat disk. Wrap the dough, and chill it for at least 2 hours.
• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Trim to a large rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, cut into smaller rectangles approximately 1 by 2 1/2 inches in size. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until firm and just golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer tombstones to a wire rack, and cool. Decorate, as desired.

TOMBSTONE TREATS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Stir in marshmallows until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal until well coated. With a buttered spatula, press into a greased 13x9-in. pan. Cool. , Beat cookie dough and flour until combined. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Trace tombstone pattern onto waxed paper; cut out 16 tombstones from dough. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Along bottom edge of each cookie, insert two toothpicks halfway into dough. Bake at 350° until edges are golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool., In a large resealable plastic bag, combine water and green food coloring. Add coconut; seal bag and shake to coat. Toast coconut in a shallow pan in a 350° oven for 5-10 minutes or cook in a skillet over low heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Set aside. Using black paste food coloring, tint frosting gray. Frost sugar cookies; decorate with brown decorating icing. , Cut cereal bars into 3x2-in. rectangles; spread with melted chocolate chips. Using toothpicks, insert cookies into cereal bars. Decorate with coconut and candies as desired.

GRAVEYARD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan. Line with parchment paper; butter lining. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Set pan aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low; alternate between adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Add pumpkin, and beat until completely combined.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Unmold; peel off parchment. Let cool completely on rack, top side up.
• Set cake and rack on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour warm chocolate glaze over cake. Using a small offset spatula, gently smooth glaze over top of cake, letting it drip down sides. Let stand at room temperature, or refrigerate until set. Arrange 6 headstones on top; serve with the remaining.

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.

TOMBSTONE CRACKERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Pulse the flour, thyme, pepper, baking powder, salt and sugar in a food processor until thoroughly mixed. Add the melted butter and pulse 5 to 6 times.
• Add the water and pulse just until the dough starts to stick together (about 10 seconds). Remove the dough, press together gently with your hands to form a single square mass, and cut into four squares. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes at room temperature.
• Roll out each individual piece of dough on a lightly-floured surface into a rectangle as thin as you can possibly get it. If the dough starts to shrink up, let it rest a little longer. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 2-inch-wide pieces. Place the pieces on the baking sheet.
• Bake, checking periodically to make sure the crackers aren't getting too brown, for 4 to 5 minutes, then flip each cracker piece and bake another 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet to get crispy.

SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with greaseproof (parchment) paper. Sift the flour and rice flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix.
• Cut butter into pieces and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture begins to bind together. Knead into soft dough.
• Roll the dough into an 8 inch round (or for exact round, mold it in an 8 inch cake pan). Place on baking sheet. Using a fork, prick top and make tine marks along edge. Using a table knife, score top with wedge marks. (This is where it will break when cooled)
• Bake 45 minutes or until pale golden in color. Sprinkle a little superfine sugar over top and cool on baking sheet. Cut into wedges. Keeps for weeks in airtight tin.

SHORTBREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the butter and 140g sugar in a food processor and whizz until smooth.
• Tip in both the flours and a pinch of salt, then whizz until mixture comes together.
• Using your hands, roughly spread the mixture out in a 20 x 30 x 4cm baking tray. Cover with cling film and smooth over until there are no wrinkles. Place in the fridge, uncooked, for at least 30 mins and up to 2 days.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Remove cling film, then lightly mark the shortbread all over with a fork.
• Sprinkle with the remaining sugar, then bake for 20-25 mins.
• Leave to cool in the tin, then cut into 24 thin slices. Shortbread will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Combine flour, cornstarch and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Roll dough into a 15x2x1-in. rectangle; chill. , Preheat oven to 325°. Cut into 1/4-in. slices; place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Prick with a fork. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.