Thursday, December 11, 2014

Cookies For Santa..faves..shortbreads~










It snnoooowed..so much so beautiful much..As I snapped these pics with the mini this AM..the paths have still not be plowed and shoveled..but by this aft..things will fall into place..
I love to garden..and have showed the peony bed often..this is how it looks now..the markers are for Jacques to know where to plow for access to the potting shed etc and the ski trails..
It looks quite lovely when he is done..
See the mini pond bed? You could never tell there are beds of beautiful blooms sleeping under this white carpet.

I adore the first heavy snowfall and walked to the mail in the pitch black last night just to see the snow falling..the trees laden and the sparkling lights.
It felt quite serene and Chistmasy..one car drove up our street as I was almost at the boxes..my daughter:) So I took a ride home..:) To see her.

Made 2 shortbreads on the weekend..auntie Bernice's..with my small twist of some rice flour..
And the Walker Wannabes..
I have shared these before..in fact I think I do every year..:)
Just in case you have not tried them yet:)

Plus I wanted to show you that you do not need a fancy mold to make shortbreads..(says me..I know..sounds totally out of place..for the cookie cutter,stamper amasser..)
The Walker Wannabes..are just cut on a cutting board into 1"x3" pieces and pricked with a fork..
For Auntie Bernice's this year..I patted the dough into an 8" round cake pan..cut out a star in the middle when baked and the others in wedges.
Waterlogue loves snow too♥

You can find the Walker Wannabes here..at last year's post~

And auntie Bernice's here...

1 lb butter
1 cup icing sugar
 4 cups flour..
Cream butter and sugar..and flour mix well..knead until well blended and smooth..
Pat into 2 8x8 square tins..or round like I did this time..
I often put  less all purpose flour and make the difference up with rice flour..say ap 1/4 c..

Bake at 300 F for 1 hr.
You know they are baked when you look at a slice..  sideways..and see all the layers are baked..no butter line:) Or raw dough line:)..Just in case you are wondering..

Shortbreads are a favored cookie here.
I end up making more shortbreads than any other ccokie..
Enjoy!
I may be shoveling a bit this afternoon~

38 comments:

  1. I see you are getting ready for Christmas dear Monique-)) We have a snow also here today, start look like a winter. Beautiful shortbread!

    Hugs,

    Yelena

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    1. Happy Holiodays to you and your family Yelena~You must be reveling in your new kitchen:)

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  2. Glad you are enjoying Waterlogue. Beautiful shortbread and love how you fonted the spatula.

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    1. It came like that:) I forget from where..a store in Florida..it jumped into my cart:)
      I am enjoying waterlogue..yesterday I tried to copy the bunny..it was nice and relaxing:)

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  3. It looks beautiful there and, shortbread is my favorite cookie. I still have the recipe from some magazine, of a picture of yours, all beribboned and beautiful. I need to make them.

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    1. Was it Fifi's? It must:)
      I love them too..My very best ..just right..no icing etc..plain plain..

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  4. Until I purchased the snowflake mold last year. that's how I did (and still do) some of my shortbread. I think I'm going to put out some butter to soften.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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    1. Our butter is having a hard time softening:)

      I love that mold..they will be the last ones I make.. next week..
      Such a good pan that is..

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  5. so, so beautiful, how magical to live there, i just love the way snow makes everything look and i'm sure you enjoyed your late night walk in the falling snow.
    the shortbread with the star cutout is so perfect and simple and probably tastes so good, i do love shortbread with a nice cup of coffee :)
    Your cooking tools are so special too
    Happy Holidays

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    1. Happy Holidays to you too..
      Not everything is special here..and you should see the mess of gingerbread I just made. Icing is not my forte..:)
      Gingerbread mittens..w/ royal icing decorating them..sad to say..they are in the garbage,,the icing never took..
      Still..I had music playing:)

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  6. Enjoy the weekend....love Ria....x!

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  7. Monique what does the rice flour do for the recipe? Tastes, texture? I made the wanna be walkers but with unsalted butter. Jerry thinks salted butter would have been better. Do you use salted butter all the time? I love them, ate one today as I rested up from cleaning house. I love aunt Bernice's recipe and how great it makes two pans! We only had a light snow but it still looks nice. The lawn looks like powdered sugar has been dusted on it. Waterlogue is fun, I bought the app and just played around a bit. Have a great weekend, I am sure we will see a post or two before Christmas rolls around.

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  8. Texture..it makes them even more...papery if that could be a description..sort of what cornstarch does for shortbread..
    I am a salted butter girl and never buy unsalted.
    I know
    purists frown upon this..but then..why do they add salt..
    In Italy..the bread was unsalted..I missed it!
    So my butter here ..is always salted..Jerry is a great taste tester..like Jacques..today I made his Magic Bars..because it is not Christmas without them.One of the first recipes I learned as a married girl..😌
    The app is fun isn't it?
    The snow here is almost 1 foot deep according to my 90 year old past client..no sun to make it over the top gorgeous..but still..
    I had a very poor baking day!
    All bloopers almost !

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    1. Thanks Monique, I will have to try the rice flour. So do you skip the salt in a recipe if it calls for it and unsalted butter or do you half it? I am glad we did not have a foot of snow but yours looks so pretty.

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    2. I taste..sometimes..I skip..sometimes not..
      It would be prettier with a blue sky..no?

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    3. And sand between your toes? Actually I think we would both have a hard time with christmas in a warm climate after all these years up north. But January or February.....

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  9. Someone just asked me for my shortbread recipe today and I have been thinking about baking some all day! Such an appropriate post to get me into the mood! Yours are always so pretty!
    Bisous xo

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  10. Beautiful snowfall and wonderful shortbread! Great blog!

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  11. It looks like you live in a winter wonderland Monique. I'm in love with your black cookies for Santa spatula and your pretty silver measuring spoons. Wish I could pop by and share some of your shortbread with a cup of coffee with you this morning.
    Sam


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    1. It would be nice to all have shortbreads and tea together..in our minds I am sure we often do:)

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  12. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without home made shortbread.... I do have my favorite recipe and I substitute some flour with cornflour.& use salted butter, it does make a difference. I'm so enjoying seeing your waterlogue pictures. Have a wonderful Christmas with your family especially your ABC. boys. I'm off to Denmark, will be with ALL my family, & hoping for a white Christmas, Best wishes Barbara.

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    1. I cannot wait to see your photos from Denmark..love the beauty and simplicity ..Happy Christmas Barbara..I wish you a healthy NEW YEar:)

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  13. I too am going to put some butter out to soften. You have inspired me to make a round shortbread. I think I even have a small star cutter. The sight of your beautiful snow has made me wish I was there instead of in Florida. Growing up in Michigan left me with the feeling that Christmas was meant to be snowy. Beautiful post Monique.

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    1. You will wish for snow..just for now..in January Feb March and even sometimes April when I still have some..you will count your lucky stars..I love it too..it's quiet and peaceful and beautiful..and gives us time to read..rest etc..but the chores associated with it..and the driving:( on certain days are less than fun.
      Jacques and I love Florida ..stay warm and sunny:)I will show you as many winter pics as you want:)

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  14. ". . .and walked to the mail in the pitch black last night just to see the snow falling..the trees laden and the sparkling lights.
    It felt quite serene and Chistmasy..one car drove up our street as I was almost at the boxes..my daughter:) So I took a ride home..:) To see her."


    I love all of this. ♥

    A wonderland! It IS magical. The star cut out of the shortbread is magical too. I love all this. ♥ We haven't had our first really big snow of the season yet. I'm looking forward to it.

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  15. Oh, the cookies look delicious, but The Peony Garden watercolor(?) is just lovely!

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    1. Are you under a lot of snow too now Katrina?Not sure if NH got it..

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  16. My fave too :) The first time I tried the rice flour from a recipe I found online years ago I have never made them any other way. I think it makes them crispier too. What a lovely idea to make them like that with the star cutout. I may copy :)

    Looks like you got some that storm that hit New York State and Pennsylvania! A winter wonderful for certain. Your first photo looks like a scene in Europe. So pretty!

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    1. you could really cut out any shape..a mini gingerbread man:) mini mini..

      Any recipe w/ rice flour for a cookie..winner:)

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  17. I think shortbreads are our favourites as well Monique! Yours are gorgeous, but I am drooling over your snowy garden. How very beautiful. I don't miss snow the rest of the year, but at Christmas I feel very nostalgic for it. I miss it very much then. I may give your cookie recipe a go today! xoxoxoxo

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    1. I like it at Christmas too Marie..Thank you..I learn so much from you.
      You are the real deal cook/chef.

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  18. Oh your place looks so magical with all the snow, how beautiful. Shortbreads are my favorites too!

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  19. ou must have relatives in Brittany!
    Or Poitou-Charante. both centers of BUTTER.

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