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Cluck, Muck & Cook

Baking & Foodie Blog From Sunny Brentwood Essex

shortbread

Shortbread Cookies

3 January 14, 2017 Bake with the kids

Ollie’s Shortbread Biscuits

Saturday morning, the last remnants of snow are still lingering in the garden and my eldest son has decided he wants to make some shortbread biscuits all on his own. What a great start to the weekend, we all love shortbread biscuits, especially the dog. A nice big mug of coffee and a warm biscuit sound good to me. It also makes me nostalgic of when I used to bake with my dad as a kid so I was up for a quick bit of baking.

Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread biscuits are very easy to make so perfect for the kids to get stuck into.

I took on my standard role of “commis chef”, more commonly known as gofer and washer upper. My son pulled out his usual go to shortbread recipe and decided to add some vanilla essence. Good call in my opinion.

Shortbread Cookies

After directing me to get everything he needed out of the cupboards, he set about making the biscuits (and of course a mess). Anything on the floor becomes the dog’s job to clean up. Which he does with relish.

We had also recently bought a cookie letter stamp set, so we thought it a good idea to brand his biscuits with his name as a final flourish.

Shortbread Cookies

Once the cookies had been cut and stamped and left in the fridge to firm up my son disappeared, more stealthy than a ninja, back to the Xbox and to leave me to clear up the aftermath. That’s my boy, I used to do that to my dad but back in the day it would have been a Gameboy.

Once baked, the “Hillery” baking judges, Ethan (7), Ann my wife, Chester the Cockerpoo and Oliver all dug in. The verdict must have been good, as by the time I had made a cup of coffee they were nearly gone. Oh well, maybe next weekend I will get a look in.
Makes: 8 (7 cm) cookies
Oven Temp: Gas 5, 375F, 190C (170C Fan)

Ingredients
125g butter (room temperature)
55g caster sugar, plus extra to finish
180g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 190C (170C Fan)
  2. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla essence together with a wooden spoon until smooth.
  3. Stir in the flour and mix together to bring all the ingredients together. Try not to overwork. Turn on to a lightly floured work surface and gently roll out to about 1 cm thick.
  4. Cut out with a cookie cutter and place onto a baking tray. Roll together any spare dough and repeat.
  5. Sprinkle with caster sugar and place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to chill the dough. This will help prevent spreading.
  6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until pale golden-brown.
  7. Let cool for a couple of minutes on the baking tray. Then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Ollie's Shortbread Biscuits
 
Save Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
35 mins
 
Delicious rich buttery shortbread biscuits
Author: CluckMuckCook
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • Ingredients
  • 125g butter (room temperature)
  • 55g caster sugar, plus extra to finish
  • 180g plain flour
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Instructions
  2. Preheat the oven to 190C (170C Fan)
  3. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla essence together with a wooden spoon until smooth.
  4. Stir in the flour and mix together to bring all the ingredients together. Try not to overwork. Turn on to a lightly floured work surface and gently roll out to about 1 cm thick.
  5. Cut out with a cookie cutter and place onto a baking tray. Roll together any spare dough and repeat.
  6. Sprinkle with caster sugar and place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to chill the dough. This will help prevent spreading.
  7. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until pale golden-brown.
  8. Let cool for a couple of minutes on the baking tray. Then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Makes: 8 (7 cm) cookies
Oven Temp: Gas 5, 375F, 190C (170C Fan)
3.5.3226

 

19 October 23, 2016 Traybakes

Spooky Millionaires Shortbread

Day 2 of the boys weekend and we decided to make one of our favourite quick and easy tray bakes, millionaires shortbread. As Halloween is knocking on the door, we decided to make a ghostly pattern in the chocolate rather than the traditional marbling.

The technique to get the ghost shapes is surprisingly easy. When you get to the chocolate layer in the recipe, reserve a tablespoon of dark chocolate in a piping bag to pipe on the ghost eyes and mouth. For the ghost bodies , pipe a circle of white chocolate on the still melted dark chocolate, then drag a skewer from the centre of the circle to create a tail. Wipe the skewer between ghosts for the best effect, then pipe on some eyes and a mouth.

Makes: 16
Ingredients
250g shortbread biscuits
55g melted butter
150g butter
150g dark brown soft sugar
400g can condensed milk
pinch of salt
200g dark chocolate
100g white chocolate
Square brownie tin approx 20cm

Instructions

  1. Put the biscuits in a bag and crush with a rolling pin until like large breadcrumbs. Line the tin with baking parchment. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter, then press it firmly into your lined tin and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  2.  Heat the sugar,salt and remaining butter in a non-stick pan, stirring until melted. Add the condensed milk and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Cook for a couple of minutes or until the filling has thickened. Pour the caramel over the base. Cool on a work surface for 15 minutes and then chill in the fridge until set.
  3. Melt the chocolate in separate bowls over pans of simmering water. Pour the dark chocolate over the caramel and then reserve a tablespoon of dark chocolate in a piping bag. For the ghost bodies, pipe a circle of white chocolate on the melted dark chocolate, drag a skewer from the centre of the circle to create a tail. Wipe the skewer between ghosts for the best effect then pipe on some eyes and a mouth.
  4. Chill in the fridge until set. Remove from the tin and cut into squares, dip your knife in hot water between cuts to help cutting through the chocolate.

Stores well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Spooky Millionaires Shortbread
 
Save Print
Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 30 mins
 
Author: CluckMuckCook
Serves: 16
Ingredients
  • 250g shortbread biscuits
  • 55g melted butter
  • 150g butter
  • 150g dark brown soft sugar
  • 400g can condensed milk
  • pinch of salt
  • 200g dark chocolate
  • 100g white chocolate
  • Square brownie tin approx 20cm
Instructions
  1. Put the biscuits in a bag and crush with a rolling pin until like large breadcrumbs. Line the tin with baking parchment. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter, then press it firmly into your lined tin and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  2. Heat the sugar,salt and remaining butter in a non-stick pan, stirring until melted. Add the condensed milk and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Cook for a couple of minutes or until the filling has thickened. Pour the caramel over the base. Cool on a work surface for 15 minutes and then chill in the fridge until set.
  3. Melt the chocolate in separate bowls over pans of simmering water. Pour the dark chocolate over the caramel and then reserve a tablespoon of dark chocolate in a piping bag. For the ghost bodies, pipe a circle of white chocolate on the melted dark chocolate, drag a skewer from the centre of the circle to create a tail. Wipe the skewer between ghosts for the best effect then pipe on some eyes and a mouth.
  4. Chill in the fridge until set. Remove from the tin and cut into squares, dip your knife in hot water between cuts to help cutting through the chocolate.
Notes
Stores well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

The first two stages have to chill for 30 mins each once cooled.
3.5.3217

Adapted from a Carnation recipe.

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