Browned Butter Ginger Shortbread Recipes

BROWN BUTTER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F/180C and get a 9"X13" pan out- no need to grease it.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a regular medium-sized bowl add the flour, butter, sugar, and salt. Mix on low/medium speed until the butter is mixed in and pea-size pieces of butter are left OR mix by using your hands to rub the butter into the dry ingredients. If you grab a handful of the dough you should be able to squeeze it in your hand into one piece.
• Transfer the dough to the pan and press down evenly. Use a rolling pin or glass to roll the shortbread dough to ensure it's tightly in the pan. Using a butter knife score the shortbread, basically marking the shortbread - you are not cutting all the way through, into whichever size pieces you want. Scoring up, down, and across. Prick all over with a fork. If your fork sticks and pulls some of the shortbread up then gently use your clean finger next to the fork as you press down to kind of hold the shortbread in place.
• Bake for approximately 18-25 minutes, or until golden brown on edges. Once baked cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Sprinkle sugar on top and shake pan side to side to distribute evenly. Cut on the previously scored marks and store them in an airtight container. Last for up to a week.

BROWNED BUTTER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a heavy two-quart saucepan, melt all the butter over low heat. Cook butter 8 to 12 minutes, stirring consistently, until butter solids at bottom of pan are a rich brown color and butter has a nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn the butter.
• Pour browned butter into a bowl; refrigerate until almost firm, about a half hour.
• In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat sugar with cooled browned butter.
• Mix flour and salt into butter mixture by hand -- don't overwork the dough. It will be crumbly.
• Pat shortbread crumbs into pan of choice. I like to use a square pan.
• Bake shortbread 40 to 45 minutes, until browned around the edge. Watch carefully lest they burn. Let cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.
• Remove shortbread from pan to cutting board. While still warm, cut the whole in half, in half again, and in half again until you have small squares. These are rich, and shouldn't be large.

GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Butter an 8 1/2-inch cake or springform pan; set aside. Sift together flour and salt into a small bowl; set aside. Place butter in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Cream until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until very light in color and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, about 2 minutes more. Add vanilla, if using. Add flour mixture, and combine on low speed, scraping with spatula if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.
• Pat dough into prepared pan. If rolling out dough to cut into shapes, form into a flat disk; wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Sift 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of ground cloves, and a pinch of pepper with flour and salt. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out gingerbread men using a 3-inch cutter; sprinkle with crystal sugar; chill.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until firm, about 30 minutes.

GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and 1 cup of sugar on medium-low speed, just until they are combined. (Don¿t whip!) Add the vanilla and 2 teaspoons water and mix until combined. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until the dough starts to come together. Add the ginger, then dump onto a surface generously dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 3/8 inch thick and cut circles with a 2 3/4-inch plain round cookie cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges start to brown.
• Cool to room temperature and serve.

BROWNED BUTTER-PECAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown.
• Remove pan from heat immediately, and pour butter into a small bowl.
• Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify.
• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
• Gradually add brown sugar and powdered sugar, beating until smooth.
• Gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended.
• Stir in pecans.
• Shape dough into 4 (8-inch) logs.
• Wrap logs tightly in plastic wrap, and chill 4 hours or until firm.
• Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; place on lightly greased baking sheets.
• Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Transfer to wire racks to cool.
• **Cook time does not include butter chill time of one hour or dough chill time of 4 hours.

GINGERED SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9 1/2-inch springform pan.
• In a medium bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer at high speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour, rice flour, and ground ginger to make a soft dough. Stir in the crystallized ginger. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Using the tines of a fork, press around the perimeter of the dough. Prick the dough, reaching down to the bottom of the pan, into 12 wedges.
• Bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan. Remove the sides of the pan. Cut or break the shortbread into wedges, following the perforations in the dough. (The shortbread can be prepared up to 5 days ahead, stored in an airtight container at room temperature.)

GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cream the 4 ozs butter with the sugar.
• Combine flour, 1 tsp. ginger, and baking powder; add to the butter mixture.
• Put into a greased shortbread pan (or a 7-8" round or square baking pan) and bake at 325 F (170 C) for about 40 minutes or until done.
• While the shortbread is baking, prepare the icing: melt together the butter, ginger, and golden syrup in a saucepan over low heat until blended and smooth.
• Pour the icing over the hot shortbread and let it cool a little.
• When the icing has cooled a bit, decorate the top with pieces of candied ginger.
• Cut shortbread into shapes (wedges or rectangles).
• Cool completely before removing from pan.
• *Note:You may leave out the candied ginger- some may find it too spicy, especially children.