Snowflake Shortbread Recipes

SHORTBREAD SNOWFLAKES

Steps:

• Whisk flour, salt, and cardamom in a medium bowl. Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour mixture.
• Press the dough into a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet. Press parchment paper onto surface, and smooth top. Remove parchment; wrap sheet in plastic. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using snowflake-shape cutters, cut out cookies, and arrange by size on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

SNOWFLAKE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.
• In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating well. In small bowl, mix flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended.
• On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 2-inch snowflake-shaped cookie cutter. On cookie sheets, place cutouts 1 inch apart.
• Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. Decorate with white icing; sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Store between sheets of waxed paper in tightly covered container at room temperature.

VANILLA CARDAMOM SHORTBREAD SANDWICH COOKIES WITH ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM FILLING

Steps:

• For the cookies: In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, starch and cardamom. Whisk to combine well. Set aside. In a bowl of a stand mixer on medium, cream the butter until soft and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Add in the vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds or paste. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Form the dough into two sections and form each section into a ball with your hands. Flatten into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for one hour. Preheat oven to 300 deg F. Prepare baking sheets with either parchment or silicone bake mats. On a lightly floured surface roll out on dough disc at a time to ¼" thick. Cut out with 2" diameter snowflake shaped cookie cutters and place on cookie sheets about 2" apart. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Do not over bake or let them brown. Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheets and carefully remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before filling and assembly. Since they are thin cookies they cool pretty quickly. For the espresso Swiss Meringue buttercream: Make the buttercream while the cookies are cooling. You could also make this a day ahead of time and bring to room temperature before using, just whip again in your mixer to make it light and fluffy. Set a pan of water over the stove and bring to a simmer. Set your mixing bowl over the pan to make sure it doesn't touch the water, either pour out some of the water or add a foil ball to keep it from touching. In the stand mixer bowl, combine the egg whites, sugar and salt. Set the bowl over the pan of simmering water until it reaches 160 deg f. ( use a candy thermometer). Return the bowl to the stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment. Slowly bring the speed all the way up and whip the mixture until thick and glossy and the bottom of the mixer bowl is cooler to the touch, about 7 minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add in the butter one tablespoon at a time allowing a few rotations of the whisk in-between each addition. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl and bring the speed up to high and whip until the buttercream comes together. Mix the espresso powder with water then add to the buttercream. Whip to fully incorporate for another minute. If piping the buttercream for the filling - fit a piping bag with a small open star tip and fill with some of the buttercream, squeeze to get rid of any air. I always squeeze a little back into the mixing bowl when getting rid of the air. To assemble: Take one cookie and spread or pipe some of the buttercream on the underside of the cookie (the side that touched the baking sheet when baking) and top with the other cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies. Chill until ready to serve. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

SNOWFLAKE-STENCILED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt; process until smooth. Add flour and pulse just until combined. Form dough into an 8-inch-long round or square log; wrap tightly in plastic and freeze until firm, 30 minutes (or up to 1 month).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Dip edges in sugar if desired and transfer to two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden brown around edges, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on sheets. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• To decorate: On desired paper, draw shape (use a cutter as a guide). Fold paper in half and cut out shape, leaving border intact.
• Lay either stencil on cookie. With a fine-mesh sieve, dust cookie with confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder.
• Carefully lift off stencil.