Sparkling Shortbread Cookies | 12 Days of Holiday Baking

How would you like to have a master shortbread dough which can morph into a variety of cookies? It’s like a gift that keeps on giving. A buttery master dough which has the capacity to transform into numerous end products. Think sparkling shortbread cookies, jammy bars, marble chocolate treats, tender thumb prints in different shapes and designs, starting with the same master dough. Keep the dough wrapped in the refrigerator and turn it into whatever final form you desire. With the master dough and the attending recipe (and more recipes to come), a gift-worthy set of shortbreads is at your fingertips.

• INGREDIENTS: There are four key ingredients in the master dough recipe: sugar, butter, egg yolk and flour. Kosher salt is extra. Moreover, for the sparkling shortbread cookies, you need egg white and decorative sugar, mostly for finishing the touches.
• RATIO: You might want to commit to memory this formula for the master dough. Half a cup of granulated sugar, two sticks of butter, 1 large egg yolk and 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. Generally, I prefer to measure the ingredients more precisely (and therefore scalable) by converting volume into weight. It works out to be: 100 grams (1/2 cup) of sugar, 226 grams or 8 ounces (2 sticks) of butter, 1 large egg yolk and 320 grams (2 1/2 cups) of flour.
• Put it in terms of ratio, that becomes 1 : 2.25 : 3 (sugar, butter, and flour), bound by one egg yolk to add moisture. In other words, the master shortbread cookie dough is roughly one part sugar, a little over 2 parts fat and 3 parts flour, plus an egg yolk as binder.
• METHODS: This is how most cookie dough is prepared. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Add egg yolk and gradually mix in flour and salt. The master dough will be in large crumbles to allow mix-ins. Then you proceed with the next step for a variety of cookies to take form.
• TEXTURE: This is a shape-shifter of a dough. It’s easy to work with, roll out, crumble, chill and slice, or press into molds. The sparkling shortbread cookies has a buttery, crumbly and crispy texture.
• SPECIAL NOTES: Versatility and predictability are the winning characteristics of the master dough. The process is likely to diverge after the additions for other ingredients. The final cookies as a result are endless and can be surprising. Let them all shine!

Print Recipe

Sparkling Shortbread Cookies

Serves: 36 cookies

The master shortbread dough is the key to a trove of holiday treats. The sprinkling shortbread cookies are the first using one batch of the master dough and adorned with decorative sugar.

Ingredients

• FOR THE DOUGH: Use one batch of the Master Butter Shortbread Dough
• 1 cup/ 226 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup/ 100 grams granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2½ cups/ 320 grams all-purpose flour
• FOR FINISHING:
• 1 large egg white, beaten
• ½ cup decorative sugar

Instructions

1

FOR THE MASTER DOUGH:

2

MAKE THE DOUGH: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Beat on low speed until incorporated and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 3 minutes. (Do not beat until fluffy, you don’t need to incorporate air into the dough.) Add the egg yolk and mix until just combined. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3

ADD FLOUR: Add the flour to the bowl all at once and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer speed to low and beat until flour is fully incorporated, scraping the bowl again if needed, about 30 seconds. The dough will be in large crumbles.

4

FOR THE SPARKLING SHORTBREAD COOKIES:

5

SHAPE THE DOUGH: Form the dough into two 9-inch logs. Wrap each log firmly in a strip of parchment paper and twist the ends shut. Refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to slice, about 30 minutes and up to 3 days.

6

Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

7

DECORATE THE COOKIES: Brush the surface of each log all over with the egg white. Sprinkle a sheet of parchment paper with the decorative sugar and roll the log in the sugar to completely coat. Slice each log into ½-inch rounds. Lay the rounds on the prepared baking sheet, spacing at least ½ inch apart.

8

BAKE: Bake until the cookies are golden at the bottom edges, rotating once halfway through baking, about 20 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The baked cookies can also be stored frozen in an airtight container for up to 10 days. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Notes

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023712-sparkling-shortbread-cookies