The long and shortbread of the story is…

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/12/2009 (6135 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Joanne Riddell of Morden had written that she had misplaced a story and recipe that was in the Free Press a couple of years ago about a mother and her two daughters making shortbread.

It turns out that the story was part of the newspaper’s annual Pennies from Heaven campaign, and was written by sports writer Ashley Prest. She told the story of her childhood memories of Christmas and the shortbread, and how she rediscovered the recipe years later with her own daughters, and wanted to share her family’s recipe with others. Here it is again today in time for Christmas baking. Thanks to Eileen Cruden, Ollie Bartkow and Doris Martin of East St. Paul.

Several readers also sent a whipped shortbread recipe that was in the paper several years ago and it is also reprinted today. Thanks to Dianna Watts, Sheila James, Fay Bigourdin, Helen Schmautz and Linda Snider of Glenboro.

Florence Bouchard had requested a recipe for cake tarts, using tart shells filled with jam or mincemeat and cake batter. Thanks to Lorraine York of West St. Paul for sending in the recipe that follows, and also to Cecile Olivier and Pauline Merchant.

New requests from readers are both to duplicate restaurant offerings.

Colleen Serban asks if anyone may have the recipe for the very rich and creamy chocolate mousse dessert or cheese cake with raspberry coulis that Earls used to serve a few years ago, and Bertha Hiebert would like the recipe for the pina colada sauce that Red Lobster serves with their coconut shrimp.

If you can help with a recipe request, have your own request, or a favourite recipe you’d like to share, send an e-mail to recipeswap@freepress.mb.ca, fax it to 697-7412, or write to Recipe Swap, c/o Darlene Henderson, Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. Please include your first and last name, address and telephone number.

 

Ashley’s family recipe for shortbread cookies

375 ml (11/2 cups) butter
250 ml (1 cup) icing sugar
250 ml (1 cup) cornstarch
500 ml (2 cups) flour

Cream butter and icing sugar until light in colour. Sift cornstarch and flour together and add. Cream well. Take dough and knead for several minutes.

Roll into small balls, place on cookie sheet and press down with lightly floured fork. Bake at 140 C (275 F) for 10-20 minutes or until bottom of cookies are light brown. (Ashley’s note: This is a wide time range at low temperature, but that’s what it says! For mine, I use a slightly hotter oven and adjust the time accordingly.)

Taste Tester Notes: This easy recipe makes delicious, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread. I used unsalted butter that I let soften at room temperature first, and a stand mixture to cream ingredients very well. I rolled the dough into approximately 1-inch balls, which made 4-1/2 dozen 1-1/2-inch baked cookies. I tried baking the first pan at 140 C (275 F) and after 20 minutes they were still not done, so I increased the temperature to 160 C (325 F) and baked for a few more minutes. The second pan I baked at 150 C (300 F) for about 17 minutes. You can keep these plain, or flavour or decorate as desired.

 

Whipped shortbread

454 g (1 lb) butter
125 ml (1/2 cup) cornstarch
750 ml (3 cups) flour
250 ml (1 cup) icing sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla

In a mixer, food processor or with a hand mixer, cream butter well.

Add remaining ingredients. Beat well until of whipped cream consistency (may take up to 5 minutes with a hand mixer).

Drop from spoon, or put through cookie press onto slightly greased cookie sheet. Decorate with maraschino cherries if desired.

Bake at at 175 C (350 F) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly brown. Do not overbake. Freezes well. Makes 4-8 dozen depending on the size you make the shortbread.

Taste Tester Notes: A very buttery and light, delicate shortbread. I used unsalted butter that I let soften at room temperature first. A stand mixer easily whips the mixture to an almost white froth-like consistency. The dropped dough will spread out as it bakes to make a circular cookie. These cookies are more fragile and once baked can be packed between layers of wax paper to store. Makes about 5 dozen 2-inch cookies.

 

Cake tarts

Pastry (or pre-made tart shells)
Jam or desired filling
60 ml (1/4 cup) shortening
125 ml (1/2 cup) white sugar
1 egg, separated
1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt
90 ml (3/8 cup) milk
250 ml (1 cup) flour
5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
2 ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla

Line muffin tins with pastry. Place 5 ml (1 tsp) jam or filling of choice in each tart shell.

Cream shortening and sugar well. Add egg yolk and beat well.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Add vanilla and fold in stiffly beaten egg white. Fill tart shells with batter. Bake at 175 C (350 F) for 25 to 30 minutes.

Taste Tester Notes: As the name indicates, the topping makes these tarts part cake, and the taste will be largely dependent on your choice of filling, such as raspberry or strawberry jam (which I used) or mincemeat. I used 31/2-inch pastry circles. The batter is a bit stiff, but you can spread it slightly as you drop it in and it will continue to spread as it bakes. If you don’t have a measuring cup for 3/8 cup, it is equal to 6 tablespoons. Makes 2 dozen tarts.