I was very excited when I saw this recipe. I love shortbread and I love Gale Gand. Based on my extensive interaction with her - I spent a lot of time watching her Food Network show Sweet Dreams when I was in college and graduate school - I have determined that she is fun, super nice, down-to-earth, and an excellent baker and pastry chef. I also absolutely love her babka recipe.
We spent the weekend in Florida visiting my grandma, and we're leaving early Saturday morning to spend 9 days visiting Paul's family in Oregon, so I knew I wouldn't have much time to make this recipe. I made and froze the dough when I had some time a couple of weeks ago, and I was planning on finishing the recipe one night this week. Luckily, I thought to check the website yesterday, and realized that the recipe was supposed to be posted this Tuesday! (For some reason I thought it was supposed to be next Tuesday.) So, I had to revise my plan. We flew in from Florida early Monday morning and went straight to work. When I got home Monday night, I put the dough in the freezer to defrost. I woke up early this (Tuesday) morning to finish the shortbread and take my photos before work. (Don't normal people do stuff like this? Sometimes I think this blog is taking over my life, and I post at most twice a week! I don't know how people do it.) Unfortunately, I'm also supposed to be logging all of my food this week to show my doctor. For some reason I don't think she's going to love the idea of eating shortbread for breakfast....
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Anyway, luckily this is an easy recipe. Roasted rhubarb is one of my favorite spring desserts and I really wanted to make the rhubarb jam, but unfortunately I couldn't find rhubarb at the store and our rhubarb plant is still at least a month away from being ready. I decided to use some of the fig preserves I canned last summer instead, making the recipe even faster. The dough was easy to make, and I like that the recipe can be made in stages. This morning, while drinking my coffee, it was pretty easy to grate the dough, spread the jam, and get the cookies in the oven.
I pulled the shortbread out of the oven after 40 minutes, when it was just starting to brown. I have a hard time telling when things look "golden brown" and am now thinking this could have used a few extra minutes, but I had to get to work. I halved the recipe and used an 8 by 8 pan, so that may have affected the cooking time slightly.
For me, the hardest part of this recipe was dusting the cookies in powdered sugar. I've always been absolutely terrible at it. I - brilliantly - tried to rest the sifter on the cookies as I poured in the sugar. It - of course - sunk right into the dough, leaving a clear circle in the middle of my cookies. I thought powdered sugar might cover it up, but no such luck. My sugar is also very uneven - very thick in some spots and almost none in the corners. I think I got more of it on myself than on the cookies!
The good news is that these cookies still tasted absolutely great. My husband remarked on how great the texture is. Shortbread can be pretty dense, but I think the grating (and very gentle patting) of the dough keeps these cookies almost airy. I wouldn't refer to anything with this much butter as light, but these are very easy to eat, and eat, and eat...The jam I used is a pretty subtle flavor, but definitely a great addition. I can't wait to get home tonight and eat these for dessert!
Fig preserves sound delicious and your photos are just wonderful! It sounds like you have been super busy and you still managed to bake the Hungarian Shortbread and write a nice post about it, my respect!
ReplyDeleteAnd rhubarb in the garden...no such luck for me...
Maybe the rest of the week will not be quite as busy...
Still no rhubarb in the garden, but we think it's growing!
DeleteThe blogosphere is a major time suck, isn't it? But in such a rewarding way.
ReplyDeleteHere's the very professional and complex method I used for the sugar. (It's all bout using the right tool.)
1. Place long-handled, wire-mesh strainer in left hand.
2. Place bag of confectioner's sugar in right hand
3. Gently pour some sugar into strainer, holding it just ABOVE the pan.
4. Shake and tap strainer to release powder. Tap carefully.
5. Wipe all excess sugar off the counter with a sponge.
As for the golden brown problem, I can't help you. I over-bake everything. Just do what I do: Blame it on the oven.
Thanks so much for the detailed instructions on adding powdered sugar :-) I will definitely refer to them next time...You're totally right, most "mistakes" in my kitchen are my oven's fault!
DeleteThis did have a wonderful texture, didn't it? Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteYour Shortbread looks so yummy :-) It was a very easy and fun recipe ... :-)Figs Sounds good :-)
ReplyDeleteNow I have to have that babka recipe. Yesterday I went to the best bagel place in town where I have gotten the most amazing babka before (comes from Baltimore) and wondered when I would have the occasion to buy it again, or better yet, make it. Wish that recipe were in Baking with Julia.
ReplyDeleteBlogging does take a lot of time - more then I realized it would. But I do enjoy it once the post is completed! I did like the texture of the grated dough.
ReplyDeleteThe homemade fig preserves sound great, Jora! I made half a pan also because I couldn't bear to use a full pound of butter in a single recipe. I hope you had a wonderful visit with your grandma and that your upcoming visit to Oregon is fun-filled as well.
ReplyDeleteHow great that you were able to use your homemade fig preserves with this recipe. Your shortbread looks lovely!
ReplyDeleteI am very much a messy Bessie when it comes to powdered sugar. I have given up on trying to not make a mess :-)
ReplyDeleteYour cookies look lovely & the fig preserves sound great. Thanks for baking along this week.
Fig sounds like a wonderful filling for these.
ReplyDeleteI think this is the first time I've been able to comment on your blog (as a result of the Blogger/WordPress compatibility issue). I just wanted to say I've been enjoying reading your posts for both BwJ and FFwD.
Thank you! I'm pretty clueless with computers, but I'm so glad the compatibility issue is finally worked out.
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