Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies with Dulce De Leche.

Last weekend I found 4 cans of sweetened condensed milk in the cupboards.  With one of the cans, I decided to make some dulce de leche.  It was super easy (just pour a can into a large microwave-safe bowl, zap for 10-15 minutes on 30% power, stirring every few minutes until it's golden), but left me with a jar of dulce de leche.  So last night I had this genius idea to make some brown butter cookies and sandwich them with the dulce de leche.  Sounds delicious, right?  They were!  However these cookies were almost TOO tender - they crumbled into pieces at the most gentle touch, so they were smashed into bits after this photo shoot and will hopefully make a super crust for something in the future.  I'm going to post the recipe here, maybe someone can tell me what I did wrong?

Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from Blue Ridge Baker who adapted it from Flo Braker
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, browned and cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Sift or whisk the flour, baking soda and salt into a small bowl and set aside.  Transfer the browned butter to a medium bowl and add half the sugar, stirring until it's dissolved, then the other half, then the vanilla extract.  Stir the flour mixture into the butter until everything is combined, then let it rest for 10 minutes so the flour can absorb the butter.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Form the dough into small circles or balls and bake until they're golden brown around the edges, 15-25 minutes, depending on how large or small you've made them.

Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Mini Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies.

My mother, who doesn't have .01% of the sweet tooth I do, ADORES these cookies.  They have been in the family repertoire for as long as I can remember and come from a local church cookbook - the recipe has been cut out, saved, lost and found again but I actually have it memorized by heart now.  The ratio for shortbread isn't a difficult one to remember - generally for every stick of butter you have a cup of flour and 1/2 cup of sugar and this one is no different, along with the addition of flavorings and some mini chocolate chips.

The original recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups of flour, but I find 2 binds the buttery dough just enough.  It also instructs the cookies be baked at 350 degrees F, which I find a bit high for shortbread so I use 325 instead.  Although it does take slightly longer for them to bake, you end up with more tender cookies.

This recipe specifies a 4 dozen yield, but I rolled these into smaller balls to get 6 dozen cookies this time.  Hey, I'd rather have 2 or 3 smaller cookies than 1 large cookie, wouldn't you? :)

Mini Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from an old church cookbook
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 to 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. and have a few baking sheets ready.  (No parchment necessary, these are buttery enough!)

Cream the butter and sugar together until well-blended and lightened in color, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix again until incorporated.  Stir in the flour until you almost have a ball of dough, then add in the chocolate chips and mix until the dough comes together.

Roll the dough into 1/2" to 1" balls, flattening with a fork dipped in flour or confectioner's sugar.  Bake for 12 to 17 minutes, until very lightly browned around the edges and the bottom of the cookies.  Remove to cooling racks and try not to inhale more than 6 at a time.

Chocolate Mousse.

I had been baking cupcakes and cakes all summer, some for money, some for family, and by the time late August rolled around I just wanted to make something different, easy, yet impressive.  In comes chocolate mousse.  Mousse is always elegant - maybe because of its decadent taste and texture - people always assume it's incredibly difficult to make.  It isn't and it's too bad more people don't make it as much as other desserts!  In a way it's easier than a cake or cookies because you don't have to bake it.

There is some cooking involved, since there are raw eggs here, and lots of whisking.  You can use a handheld electric mixer for the first parts of the recipe but I will say I used a whisk and I thought of it this way: if I whisk by hand instead of using a mixer, I can justify eating this mousse... We all make eating excuses like that, but you do burn more calories whisking by hand than by using an electric handheld mixer, right?  I'd like to think so.

This recipe says it makes 2 1/2 cups or serves 8 generously but I doubled it to serve 20 people with at least 3 or 4 glasses extra.  I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chips for the chocolate called for because I was making it for so many people and I have to say I loved it and I won't be snobbish and say to seek out only high quality 66% bittersweet bars or anything like that (although the book does ask for this).  I say use what you have - it will still be delicious.

Dark-Chocolate Mousse 
Adapted from Pure Chocolate by Fran Bigelow
5 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, chilled

In the top of a double broiler or in a heat-proof bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until pale yellow and thick, the sugar should begin to dissolve and a ribbon should fall back in the bowl when the whisk is lifted.  This could take anywhere from 7 to 15 minutes depending on if you're whisking by hand or using a handheld mixer.

Stir in the water.  Place over simmering water and cook, whisking constantly until the mixture is very thick and registers 160 degrees F.  and coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, salt and vanilla.  Stir until the chocolate is melted and then continue to stir until the mixture is cool to the touch.

In a separate bowl, whisk the cold heavy cream until it forms soft peaks and gently fold it into the chocolate mixture.  Cover and refrigerate about 4 hours or until cold.  Alternatively, spoon the freshly-made mousse into glasses or bowls first and then chill.

I served the mousse with some gluten free shortbread cookies and a dollop more of whipped heavy cream just because I had extra and I felt like gilding the lily.  Here's the recipe for the shortbread, although the mousse really didn't need any accompaniment to be honest!  These cookies are quite fragile and you need to be careful when taking them off the cookie sheets.  The broken ones make great crusts for cheesecake though!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Shortbread
Adapted from 125 Best Gluten Free Recipes by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt
2/3 cup rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup potato starch
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup butter, very soft

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. and line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients besides the butter until well-mixed.  Add the soft butter and mix until a dough forms.  Pinch into 1-inch balls and place on the parchment-lined baking sheets.  You can flatten these with the tines of a fork dipped in sugar or I used the bottom of a glass dipped in cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until very lightly golden brown on the bottom edges.  Transfer the sheets of parchment to a cooling rack to cool completely and then take the cookies off the paper carefully.

Bored Baking.

I really have no idea what prompted it but last night around 11:30 I went downstairs to the kitchen and started pulling out butter, sugar, and flour and made this shortbread. It may have been the weather, it may have been my boredom, or knowing that I didn't have to be up early this morning. Whatever it was I'm glad I did it because this is my favourite shortbread recipe. Growing up my mom's favourite cookie was shortbread always, always. And really what's better than eating butter and sugar, combined with JUST enough flour to hold it all together and a pinch of salt? I love shortbread because it truly displays baking as more than just the sum of its parts.

Plus it happens to be the best accompaniment to coffee or tea. Or orange juice, or milk, or water...

Shortbread recipe adapted from "Tartine" by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson

Shortbread dough:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, VERY soft. (Should have the texture of mayonnaise when mixed in bowl)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons AP flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup granulated sugar (I used vanilla sugar)
1/4 cup granulated sugar or superfine sugar for topping

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 6x10-inch glass baking dish. (PS I used an 11x7 'cause I don't have a 6x10. Came out fine.)

Place the butter in a mixing bowl. Add the salt to the butter and mix well with a spoon or paddle attachment so that it dissolves completely before the other ingredients are added in.

Sift the flour and cornstarch together on a piece of wax paper or in a small bowl. Add the sugar to the butter mixture and beat until it's just combined. Then add in the flour mixture and stir until just a smooth dough forms.

Pat the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish. The dough should be fairly thin in the dish - no more than about 1/2 inch thick. Bake until the top is slightly golden, but the center is still light, about 30 minutes. Let cool until warm to the touch.

Sprinkle the sugar on top of the baked shortbread and shake the dish to coat the entire surface. With a paring knife, cut into desired pieces. Let cool completely and then remove the square or rectangles from the dish. The first is always the hardest to get out so obviously just eat that one yourself. This recipe says the cookies last for 2 weeks in an airtight container but mine are almost gone already. They are that good.