Aunt Marys Shortbread Recipes

AUNT MARY'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Beat the sugar and butter with a spoon until creamy. In three batches, sift and mix the flour into the sugar-butter mixture. Mix well, until fluffy. (my Aunt Mary uses a wooden spoon for mixing, but you can use electric beaters).
• Pat the dough flat onto a greased cookie sheet, covering about 3/4 of the pan (I pat the dough into neatly formed rectangular shape). Puncture the dough at regular intervals with a fork. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Cut into 15 pieces per pan (1 inch wide). Bake 1/2 hour at 300-325°F Let cool.

ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, rosemary and salt. Add butter, and honey if desired, and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some crumbs start to come together, but don't overprocess. Dough should not be smooth.
• Press dough into an ungreased 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan or 9-inch pie pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes for 9-inch pan, 45 to 50 minutes for 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm.

ALMOND SHORTBREAD I

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter with 1/2 cup sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour until smooth and well combined. Divide dough into 2 parts. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• On lightly sugared surface, roll out dough, one part at a time, about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out cookies with a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with the end of a wooden spoon.
• Bake in preheated oven until cookies are light golden brown around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. While still warm, roll in sugar. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container.

GREAT-AUNT ANNIE'S TRADITIONAL SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Spray a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour. Mix until well combined.
• Evenly spread cookie dough into prepared tart pan. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle shortbread with sanding sugar. Using a 2-inch round fluted cookie cutter, make a shallow cut in the center of the dough. Using the tines of a fork, score dough from the edge of the circle in the center toward the edge of the pan into 12 equal wedges.
• Transfer tart pan to oven and bake until light brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the shortbread comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Immediately re-score circle and wedges with cookie cutter and the tines of a fork. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 1 hour. Remove shortbread from tart pan and let cool completely. Cut into wedges with a serrated knife along the scored lines.

AUNT MARY'S COOKIES

Steps:

• Place sheets of waxed paper onto a work surface.
• Stir sugar, cocoa, and evaporated milk together in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil; boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir butter and marshmallow creme into cocoa mixture. Quickly stir graham cracker crumbs into mixture.
• Drop cookies by the spoonful onto waxed paper; let stand until firm. Store in airtight containers.