Vanilla Orange Shortbread
Recipe by Nicole Thom-Arens
Makes 16 cookies
I love baking with orange zest in the winter. It brings such brightness to cookies, muffins, and breads. These shortbread cookies come together with minimal effort, which makes them a perfect bake during the rush of the holidays. I set out to make a traditional Scottish base for these cookies, so the measurements are in both grams and cups. The result is a buttery, flaky sugar-cookie-like flavor that is loads faster and easier to make than traditional American sugar cookies.
Ingredients:
100 grams/ 7 tablespoons of granulated sugar1 teaspoon orange zest200 grams/ 14 tablespoons of unsalted butter1/2 teaspoon kosher salt1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste300 grams/ 2 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.2) Add sugar to a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. 3) Add orange zest. Combine with your hands or a fork. 4) Add butter. Cream until sugar and butter are combined and lightened. 5) Add salt. Combine.6) Add vanilla bean paste. Combine.7) Add flour. Mix until just combined. (It will look like large crumbs.)8) Transfer the mixture to a sheet of parchment paper. 9) Kneed the crumb mixture until a stiff dough forms. 10) Shape the dough into an 8x8 square. 11) Place the pan upside down on top of the dough. Using the parchment paper ends, flip the dough and pan over so that the bottom of the dough becomes the top once in the pan. 12) Reshape if necessary once the dough is in the pan. 13) Using a sharp knife, score 1-inch shortbread fingers. 14) Using a tooth pick, make vertical line of holes on each finger. 15) Bake for 13 minutes at 375 degrees. 16) After 13 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and rescore and reshape the holes. 17) Return the shortbread to the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Cook the shortbread until it is golden brown. 18) Cool completely in the pan before removing. 19) Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for freshness.
Ingredients:
100 grams/ 7 tablespoons of granulated sugar1 teaspoon orange zest200 grams/ 14 tablespoons of unsalted butter1/2 teaspoon kosher salt1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste300 grams/ 2 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.2) Add sugar to a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. 3) Add orange zest. Combine with your hands or a fork. 4) Add butter. Cream until sugar and butter are combined and lightened. 5) Add salt. Combine.6) Add vanilla bean paste. Combine.7) Add flour. Mix until just combined. (It will look like large crumbs.)8) Transfer the mixture to a sheet of parchment paper. 9) Kneed the crumb mixture until a stiff dough forms. 10) Shape the dough into an 8x8 square. 11) Place the pan upside down on top of the dough. Using the parchment paper ends, flip the dough and pan over so that the bottom of the dough becomes the top once in the pan. 12) Reshape if necessary once the dough is in the pan. 13) Using a sharp knife, score 1-inch shortbread fingers. 14) Using a tooth pick, make vertical line of holes on each finger. 15) Bake for 13 minutes at 375 degrees. 16) After 13 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and rescore and reshape the holes. 17) Return the shortbread to the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Cook the shortbread until it is golden brown. 18) Cool completely in the pan before removing. 19) Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for freshness.