Day 10 - Shortbread Cookies

Using tea as my inspiration, I chose to make tea cookies today. Every little girl I know has had a tea set growing up. Our obsession with this ritual is baffling to me, but then again I am not your average girly, girl. I grew up playing with bugs and climbing trees. My daughter, however; likes pink, frills and castles. So throwing her a real tea party should be right up her alley.

Shortbread cookies are a tradition that stretch back to medieval times and were said to be enjoyed by Queen Elizabeth I[1]. Their rich buttery flavor and crumbly texture are the height of formality, lending elegance to your daughter’s tea setting. Plus they are made with out eggs, so little fingers can sneak a taste of the dough with out worrying about salmonella.

We began our morning by making the dough. I softened the butter with a quick zap in the microwave. While it was blending in the mixer, LeeAnn and my niece added the flour and sugar. Once blended, we molded the dough into balls and put it into the refrigerator.

After lunch, we took the dough out and I rolled it out on the counter. Shortbread dough is not the easiest to roll, it crumbles. It is also usually made into simple rounds, but we cut them into butterflies and strawberries. I then baked them in the oven. That was about the time I lost my help. My niece decided they should play a game, so I was left to glaze the cookies. They did come back to do the last tray. I also like to drizzle chocolate over the top, but most people think that’s over kill.

Afternoon tea was a hit, with real tea and cookies. If you are nervous working with a hot oven around a toddler, you can just as easily buy some packaged cookies and have a tea party with her. LeeAnn loves to help me cook though. It’s nice to let her see what goes into her food; she has a good understanding of where our food comes from and how to put it together.

Scottish Shortbread Cookies w/ Lemon Glaze

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

1lb Butter, softened

1 cup Powdered Sugar

4 cup Flour

Glaze

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Water

Food Coloring

Directions

- Blend the butter until creamy and smooth, blend in powdered sugar. Slowly stir in flour until completely mixed. Batter will be thick.

- Divide batter in half and mold batter into a disc, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.

 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough to 1/2" thickness (leave the dough you are not working with in the fridge). The dough will be difficult to roll, it will crumble and crack, just push it back together and keep working. I like to use powdered sugar instead of flour to keep the dough from sticking. Cut out cookie shapes and put on a cookie sheet (I like to line mine with parchment paper for easy clean up). Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

 - While the cookies are baking prepare the glaze by simply mixing all the ingredients together. Spread the mixture onto the cookies as they come out of the oven. Wait a few minutes to allow the glaze to set and then move the cookies to a cooling rack.

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[1] http://www.englishteastore.com/shortbread-history.html