savory shortbread experiments: basil & sun-dried tomato

this recipe has been adjusted for what i think mine lacked, namely, SALT. i've added scratch cheese and sea salt to this recipe, but i can't make any promises. they were good but... eh. they needed salt.

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato (NOT packed in oil) chopped fine
• 1 tbs scratch cheese
• 1 tsp ground sea salt
• 1 tbs fresh basil, chopped fine or 1/2 tbs dried basil, chopped fine
• 1 1/4 cups flour

prep:

• allow butter to soften
• preheat oven to 350*
• butter 2 baking sheets

actual cooking:

• beat butter until lightened in color (about 1 minute)
• add tomato
• add basil
• add cheese
• add salt
• add flour until just combined
• shape into 2 5" logs (mine were rectangular, which helped)
• wrap in plastic and chill IN THE REFRIGERATOR (not the freezer, not not not the freezer) for 1-4 hours until firm
• slice 1/8-1/4" thick bake until edges are golden brown

fruit-filled shortbread

this is a variation on one of my new favorite recipes: chocolate-raspberry filled shortbread.

short bread-- along with macaroni & cheese and bolognese sauce-- was one of the first things i learned to cook by myself. it also happens for be favored by a lot of people i know: daddy, j, aunt diane and mrs. bender, my high school latin teacher (salvete, maestra!) (that's probably wrong, i got a c in latin), probably because it's awesome and delicious and crumbly and perfect. probably. j also favors blueberries, and he's coming over for salmon and leffe blonde tonight, so i made these blueberry.

ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 3/8 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• about 1/3 cup jam (blueberry, here, or seedless raspberry)
• (2-4 ounces of finely chopped white or semi-sweet chocolate)

prep:

• allow butter to soften very slightly
• reserve 1 tbs of butter for greasing the pan-- and because this recipe actually needs 7/8 cups butter
• preheat oven to 300*

actual cooking:

• beat butter on low about 1 minute
• add sugar
• add vanilla & salt
• add flour and beat until just combined
• line a tart pan with plastic wrap
• divide dough in 2 equalish parts

• pat half into the lined tart pan and chill in the freezer until it (and its plastic) can be removed in one piece-- leave the dough in the freezer until called for, but take out the pan because you need it now

• grease the tart pan with remaining tbs (or less) of butter
• pat the other half of the dough into the pan
  

• add your filling
  

• spread it to about 1/2 and inch from the edge

• remove other dough from the freezer, carefully removing the plastic and laying it fingerprints down on top of the filling

• allow dough to soften for 5-10 minutes until you can press the edges together without damaging the dough (i got distracted when my volunteer gig called to see if i could work 12-2 tonight)
• bake for 45-55 minutes until golden
• allow to cool most of the way
• slice with a thin, sharp knife

savory shortbread experiments: cheesy rosemary slices

i know, i know, i'm three weeks behind on shortbread recipes! what can i be thinking posting an unscheduled shortbread recipe? mostly, i'm thinking, oooh, yum.

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup + 1 tbs butter
• 1/2 cup scratch cheese
• 1 tbs fresh rosemary, chopped fine or 1/2 tbs dried rosemary, chopped fine
• 1 1/4 cups flour

prep:

• allow butter to soften
• preheat oven to 350*
• butter 2-3 baking sheets

actual cooking:

• beat butter until lightened in color (about 1 minute)
• add cheese
• add rosemary
• add flour until just combined
• shape into 2 5" logs
• wrap in plastic and chill IN THE REFRIGERATOR (not the freezer, not not not the freezer) for 1-4 hours until firm
• slice 1/8-1/4" thick
• bake until edges are golden brown

these... are not perfect. but they are damn good. with a beer. maybe golden monkey? that may or may not be what happened to all but the six i packed for daddy's official taste-testing.