The Truth... What is it?





shortbread cookies

These excellent cookies aren't too sweet and have a very crumbly texture...not difficult or sticky or too chewy to chew...and can be baked more or less crisp, being a crunchy cookie.

  •  2 sticks butter, softened
     
  • 1 cup sugar
     
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
     
  • 1 egg yolk, kept separate
     
  • 1 egg white, kept separate
     
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract (not imitation)
     
  • 1 generous cup finely chopped pecans
     
  • Using mixer,  cream butter, then add sugar and cream together again
     
  • Add the egg yolk, vanilla and gradually add flour into creamed mixture with beater running
     
  • Grease the cookie sheet with Crisco shortening
     
  • Pour mixture onto sheet and press out to corners with palm of hand & fingers
     
  • Scatter nuts evenly over whole mixture
     
  • press nuts down into mixture with palm of hand & fingers
     
  • Beat egg white until foamy & spread over top of mixture with hands & fingers
     
  • Bake at 325 F for 20-30 minutes (until light brown)
     
  • Cut in pan while WARM (not hot)
     
  • Leave in pan until cool
     
  • Remove & enjoy!

Variations of Ingredients

 Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies:

  • 1-2 tablespoons poppy seeds (cream in with butter & sugar)
     
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice  (cream in with butter & sugar)
     
  • do not use vanilla
     
  • do not use the nuts
      

Berry or Fruit Jam Cookies:

  • substitute 1 teaspoon almond extract for the vanilla
  •  imagine the size cookies you will slice after cooking and make indentaions (use finger/thumb or spoon handle)  in the dough after spreading on the cookie sheet
     
  • after cooking about 10 minutes, remove from oven and fill the indentations with your favorite fruit jam or jelly and return to oven to finish cooking time
      
  • Vary the nuts: substitute cashews, walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, etc. in the above pecan cookie recipe

Variations of Cookie Shapes

  •  squares or rectangles: use the cookie sheet method of the above pecan recipe
     
  • triangles or wedges: divide the dough into 4-6 balls and roll out in about 4 inch circles and cook on cookie sheet and divide into wedges (can use a pizza cutter)
     
  • round cookies (by balls): after dough has been made, form it into a ball and cover and refrigerate about one hour until firmer and easier to handle. pinch off pieces and roll into 1 inch balls and then onto cookie sheet (you might indent the top of each cookie)
     
  • round cookies (by log): put the large dough ball on wax paper and squeeze out into a log shape which you refrigerate (possibly even almost freeze) within the wax paper. When firm, unroll wax paper and cross-cut the log into slices about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick and lay out on cookie sheet just as with the balls technique

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(posted January 2001)