The Versatile Shortbread Recipe

 One cookie is a Christmas baking must - shortbread,This Scottish classic is a tasty nibble, full of buttery goodness. What makes it even better is that the recipe is versatile. Yiu can add other ingredients to make it different and even savory. it's an amazing recipe in any home baker's arsenal.

Regular contributor , food stylist and chef Yewande Komolafe wrote about this delcious bite in today's new York Times Food section. She gives the basic recipe and six variations incluiding the hot recipe this season, the savory shortbread. This article is a keeper and perfect for those holiday parties and cookie exchanges. The basic remedy is a blend of two cups of unsalted butter which gives the dough its' rich flavor and deep golden color along with five cups of flour, two cups of sugar , two large egg yolks and two teaspons of kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal. You can double or triple the recipe if you want to make three of the recipes. The first one is a fancy but simple one. It's taking the crumbled shortbread dough and rolling it into logs.each log surface is brush with egg white and then rolled into colored sugar spread out on a sheet of parchment paper. They're then sliced and baked at 350 degrees Farenheit for twenty two minutes. This is a good way of using red and green for a festive, fancy cookie.A different spin is spiced chocolate marbled shortbread. This is a yummy mix of the two flavors enhanced with ginger and citrus zest.

Shortbread can also be the base of bars and rounds. Chef Komolafe has a great recipe for strawberry jam bars with cardamom. This is taking the shortbread dough and first adding cardamon to it. The dough is sep

arated.One half will be pressed into a cookie pan while the other is refrigerated. Any kind of fruit jam  like strawberry or raspberry is layered on to it . It's then topped off lemon zest  chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts or pistacchios. The reserved dough is crumblred on top of this and it's then baked for thirty five minutes. It's then cooled for half an hour and dusted with confectioner's sugar. Another yummy treat peppermint patty shortbreads. This is using the recipe as a base and topping it off with mounds of homemade marshmallow and homemade chocolate ganache. Crushed pepper mint candy decorates it.It's a labor intensive recipe with the mounds resembling that cookie classic Pinwheels, but so worth it. An easier recipe is the shortbread combined with salted caramel and peanut butter. The unicorn in all of this is the savory shortbread.Chives, black pepper and cheddar are added and the dough is cut into strips..They're bent and then baked. Imagine these topped with egg salad or devilled ham.

Shortbread is the most versatile of all the cookie doughs. Try it in it's classic style, savory or mixed with other ingredients. All are delicious.