Three-Way Shortbreads
Submitted by saul
Three-ingredient shortbread dough shaped three ways: classic wedges, thumbprint cookies with fruit preserves, and pecan spice triangles with vanilla icing. One dough, three desserts.
YIELD
1 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
12 minREADY
60 minThree ingredients. Three shapes. One incredibly versatile dough. This shortbread starts with just flour, sugar, and butter, and from there you can take it in completely different directions depending on the occasion.
Classic wedges get scored into a round, pricked with a fork, and baked into the kind of buttery, crumbly shortbread that disappears from a plate in minutes. Thumbprints use the same dough rolled into balls with an indent pressed in, then filled with cherry, strawberry, or peach preserves straight out of the oven while the cookies are still warm enough to melt the jam slightly.
The pecan spice version swaps white sugar for brown and adds apple pie spice to the dough, pressed into a pan with chopped pecans on top and drizzled with a quick vanilla icing after baking. It’s the dressiest of the three and tastes like fall.
Pro Tips
- Cut the butter into the flour until it looks like fine, sandy crumbs. Bigger chunks mean an uneven bake
- Knead just until smooth. Overworking shortbread dough develops gluten and makes it tough instead of tender
- Re-cut the wedges while still warm. They’ll crack if you wait until they’re fully cooled
- For thumbprints, fill with preserves immediately after baking so the heat softens the jam into the cookie
Variations
- Use lemon curd instead of fruit preserves in the thumbprints for a tangy twist
- Replace pecans with walnuts or sliced almonds in the spice version
- Add a pinch of sea salt flakes on top of any version before baking for a sweet-salty contrast
Ingredients
Directions
In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour and sugar.
Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Form mixture into a ball and knead until smooth.
Follow the directions below for any desired shape.
SHORTBREAD WEDGES: On an ungreased cookie sheet pat or roll dough into an 8-inch circle.
For scalloped edge, with forefinger and thumb of the other hand.
Using a sharp knife, cut the dough circle into 12 to 16 pie - shape wedges.
Do not seperate wedges. Prick each wedge with a fork, making a design. Bake at 325℉ (160℃) oven for 25 to 30 minutes or just until edges are light brown. While warm, re-cut wedges. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack. THUMBPRINTS: Prepare dough as directed; shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using your thumb, press an indentation in the center of each cookie. Bake in a 325 degree F oven about 18 minutes or until bottoms are light brown and wedges are slightly golden. Immediately spoon ½ teaspoon fruit preserves (such as cherry, strawberry, or peach) into each indentation. Cool completely, then remove cookies from cookie sheet. PECAN SPICE SHORTBREAD: Prepare the dough as directed, except substitute brown sugar for the sugar and add 1 teaspoon apple pie spice to the flour mixture. Pat the dough into an ungreased 9-by-9- by 2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle dough with ¼ cup chopped pecans; press nuts lightly into dough. Bake in a 325℉ (160℃) oven for 23 to 25 minutes. While warm, cut into 16 2¼ inch squares. Cut each square diagonally to make triangles. Cool in pan. Drizzle with Vanilla Icing. VANILLA ICING: In a small mixing bowl combine ½ cup sifted powdered sugar and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir in enough milk (2 to 3 teaspoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency.
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