My family famous shortbread

I thought while I was here I might share my recipe for Whipped shortbread.

GL's Whipped mouthwatering shortbread:

Basic Ingredients:



1 full pound of soft butter.

1 cup of icing sugar.

1/2 cup of cornstarch.

3 cups of flour.

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.



Directions:


Well if you look at the list of ingredients you must wonder how these could possibly be soooo special? I will tell you.

Number one trick/secret is that the butter has to be soft and by soft I mean veeeeery soft. Not melted but how butter gets when it's been on the counter while you have had your oven on all day soft. Slides right out of the package soft. Really soft, but not melted. Get it?


Number two trick/secret is to sift the dry ingredients together, I do it at least once, sometimes twice. This makes the ingredients "lofty" and lighter, allows the air to work it's magic later, for it's fluffy melt in your mouth texture that is so desirable.

So sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.

In your mixer bowl mix the butter around a bit to get it fluffy.

Add vanilla.

Sloooooowly add the sifted dry ingredients while the mixer is doing it's thing.



If you are adding a flavoring, now is the time to add it. ( I'll get to flavoring additions at the end.)

Your going to let the mixer beat the living daylights out of this now. If you have a standing mixer, go vacuum a room. Put the washing in the dryer, change the oil in the car, book your massage appointment, every once in a while just check to make sure that the beaters are not all clogged up and if the batter is stuck there, turn it off and use a spatula to dislodge it. Turn your mixer back on and go vacuum another room. Windex all the mirrors in the house or something. You get the idea, be patient, let the mixer do all the work. It should have the consistency of whipped cream by the time you are done.


Now would be the time to add you add-ons if you are doing such a thing. If you are adding wee tiny chocolate chips you can not whip them, you must be quick or they will be chopped up and ruin the appearance of your beautiful white cookies.



Once you have your add-ons in drop teaspoons full of batter on parchment paper or tin foil lined cookie sheets.


Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, in a preheated oven. 350 F, watch them closely as they go from browning on the outside rim to burnt fast. I start checking at 11 Minutes or so.

Flavorings and add-ons:

These cookies on their own are delicious, but I really have a hard time leaving things alone, traditional.

You can buy teeny tiny chocolate chips, be they white, dark, milk chocolate. Even butterscotch chips Which I personally am not cray about. Yes I have even added skor, they seemed to disappear easily.

Lemon /Poppy seed has become popular. Just add a teaspoon of lemon juice or a bit of grated rind, about a tablespoon and at the end of mixing add a teaspoon or so of Poppy seeds.

Orange /Cranberry. Add a teaspoon of orange flavored extract or a bit of grated rind about a tablespoon and cut up small pieces of dried cranberries to add at the end of your mixing. Amount is optional to your tastes. Num Num.


Maple/walnut. Add maple extract, in a pinch I have added a tablespoon or two of real maple syrup. Add semi crushed, small pieces of walnuts at the end of the mixing.
As you can see you are only limited by your taste buds and imagination


Just make sure to add the liquid flavoring at the start, (when you add the Vanilla) and the add on after you have your desired consistency from the mixer.
 
Easy eh? Go forth and multiply your Christmas baking.