A tower delight: Larissa Raphael’s shortbread cookies, used to test the qualities of the different vanilla extracts. Photo by Saidi Granados | THE NIBBLE.

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November 2008

Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Salts & Seasonings

Vanilla: The World’s Favorite Flavor

Page 7: Shortbread Cookie Recipe

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Shortbread Cookie Recipe

This tasty recipe is from New York City pastry chef Larissa Raphael. The “short” refers not to the size (think of the large fantail “petticoat” shortbread triangles) but to their “short,” or crumbly, texture. The texture comes from the high butter content. This concept is also used to make “short crust” pastry for pies and tarts. Authentic shortcake, a biscuit-like base for fruit and whipped cream (and not a yellow layer cake), also has a crumbly texture.

Ingredients 4 ounces confectioner’s sugar (10x or powdered sugar) 12 ounces all-purpose flour 9 ½ ounces butter 2 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract ½ cup vanilla sugar, optional* *For extra vanilla flavor, roll the shortbread logs in vanilla sugar before baking. We recommend using a coarse sugar like Nielsen-Massey’s, for good textural contrast.       Preparation

You can’t tell by looking, just by smelling and tasting. For our taste test, each of these shortbread cookies was made with a different brand of extract. Photo by Saidi Granados | THE NIBBLE.

1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Sift the confectioner’s sugar and the flour.
3. Mix confectioner’s sugar, flour and butter together at low speed on a stand or hand mixer.  Mix just to combine; do not overwork the dough.
4. Add the vanilla extract until the dough comes together.
5. Roll the dough into 1-inch logs.  Wrap tightly in parchment paper. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until dough is firm.
6. Cut the log into ¼-inch slices. Immediately place cookies on a baking sheet, one inch apart.
7. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies turn golden.

Continue To Page 8: Panna Cotta Recipe

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