These great cookies are my husband's favorite. I first made them for the holidays a few years back. I had planned on making several platters and was busy adding cookies to my collection. I thought I had been drinking too much egg nog because I could swear that these cookies kept disappearing. I finally figured out it was my husband, sneaking out into the garage freezer, snagging a few of these when I wasn't looking. Finally, I had no choice but to make another couple batches to make up for all that I had lost.
But who could blame him? These cookies are that good! Rich, delicate.. gorgeous flaky shortbread. They taste as good on day 3 as they do on day 1.. so they will keep or freeze well. They are super easy to make and they will be a favorite on your cookie platter.. no matter what time of year!
A few quick hints about these cookies:
One major precaution on these cookies. If you make your indentation too deep, there is not enough cookie base to hold the cookies together.. so make your indentations slight. I like to use the plastic tube from a candy thermometer. I just lightly flour it and roll it slightly back and forth while pressing down gently.
Also, the original recipe calls for baking your cookies for 10 minutes before adding the jam and baking a further 15 minutes. But I was yammering away on the phone one day and accidentally added my jam at the very beginning. Either way it works out. Adding your jam according to the recipe gives your jam a more fluid, less cooked texture.
Make sure your dough is not too warm going into the oven. All that butter makes the cookie spread, so I like to chill my dough before baking for about 30 minutes. It seems to help them bake up and maintain a better shape.
SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD RIBBONS
Makes 36 Cookies
The cookie:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (or two sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 whole egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup of your favorite jam
Icing drizzle:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 TBS Sweetened Condensed Milk
1-2 TBS whole milk or half and half
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two large cookie sheets by lining them with parchment. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, quickly whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugar together and beat for about 4 minutes on high speed. Add egg and vanilla and mix in well. Use a spatula to keep the sides of the mixing bowl clean. Slowly, add the flour mixture in three batches, mixing well in between each batch.
Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and divide into four equal pieces. Shape each piece into a log and gently roll until it is approximately 10 inches long. Place the log on the cookie sheet and parchment paper. Using your fingers, gently press down the log until it is about 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch or so thick. Make a slight indentation all the way down the middle of the log. Indentation should be about 1/2 inches wide (I use an old, plastic tube from a candy thermometer). Repeat with remaining dough. You should have four logs of cookies ready to bake. Chill the pans in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats. The slightly chilled dough makes the cookie spread less when baking.
Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, for 10 minutes. Remove first sheet from the oven and begin baking the second sheet for 10 minutes to set the cookie. While the second sheet bakes, fill the indentation of the first cookie batch with jam. Set aside. When the second sheet has finished baking, remove it and fill with jam. Bake the first sheet for 10-15 minutes or until the edges of the shortbread are lightly golden brown. Repeat with second sheet.
Let cookies cool for about 10 minutes right in the pan. Using a sharp knife or a dough cutter, slice the cookies in 1 inch widths.. about 9 cookies per log. Try not to move them too much, they are super delicate when warm. Let them continue to cool while you mix the icing together.
In a small bowl mix powdered sugar, vanilla, sweetened condensed milk and 1 TBS of cream. Mix together swiftly with a fork. If the icing is not quite thin enough, add a bit more milk or cream. It shouldn't take more than 2 TBS. Drizzle the cookies using the tines of the fork with the icing. Be generous - these cookies are not overly sweet and the icing is the perfect compliment.
Enjoy!
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