Shortbread Cookies

 

These are similar to the thumbprint cookies I have made in the past. It is a great basic shortbread recipe that is easy to alter.  Just change up the jam flavour or put chocolate instead of jam in the centre.  Maybe even peanut butter or almond butter.  Use your imagination.  I have been going through Magnus Nilsson's book "The Nordic Baking Book" and this is where this recipe came from.  I used Apricot jam this time.  I feel like I could have added an egg to this recipe. I use a weight scale to measure my ingredients.

4 cups plus 2 tbsp plain all purpose flour (I always buy the unbleached)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp sugar

300g/11oz butter at room temperature

2 eggs at room temperature

your choice jam

Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  (I use stoneware which takes a little longer to bake but I like the result).

Whisk together all dry ingredients and add butter.  Knead with hands in a bowl until well mixed.  Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the mixture and work until smooth, taking care not to overwork the dough.

Shape the dough into 20 little balls with your hands and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Make an indentation in each one (use your finger or the end of a wooden spoon).  Fill the indentation with jam.

Bake in oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  

Swedish Peasant Shortbreads

 This should be a crisp cookie with a bit of crunch, very similar to the danish cookie my mother made with brown sugar. This is just another recipe I got from The Nordic Baking Book by Magnus Nilsson

200 grams(1 3/4sticks) of butter at room temperature

200 g (1 cup) sugar

120 g (1/3 cup) golden syrup

250 g (2 cups) all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup almonds with the skin still on, coarselychopped. ( I used blanched slivered almonds but I think the skin on almonds would look better)

Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and work until combined.  Add the dry ingredients and work until it is a smooth dough.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work counter and divide it into 4 equal pieces.  Roll the pieces into logs of about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap.  Leave in the refrigerator 3 hours or overnight.  

Preheat oven to 345 F and line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut the logs into 1/4 inch thick slices and pale the slices onto the prepared baking sheets.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until just golden.  Remove from the oven and leave them to cool