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houston daily journal
New holiday shortbread cookie recipes
Special to the Journal
In several million
American households, for
at least one weekend in
December, homemade meals
are back-burnered while the
kitchen is transformed into
a makeshift factory. Eggs
and butter, sugar, fruit,
nuts, flour and corn starch
are used in mass quantities,
and the oven runs for hours
at a time.
In many households,
extended family members
assemble early in the morn
ing to operate mixers, roll
ing pins, cookie cutters, and
timers. At the end of the
assembly-line are stacks of
gift boxes or tins, tissue,
ribbons and gift tags. The
home becomes saturated in
the aroma of baking spices,
and the sounds of collaborat
ing, talking, and laughing.
It’s time to make the holi
day cookies!
Argo Corn Starch is
introducing two new reci
pes: the Ginger Shortbread
Cookie and Cherry Almond
Shortbread Cookie. Try
these new recipes and there
is a good chance they will
end-up in your collection of
favorite holiday cookie reci
pes year after year.
The new Ginger
Shortbread Cookie has the
full, complex, seasonal-spicy
flavor you expect in a gin
gerbread cookie: including
ground ginger, with hints of
pumpkin pie spice and dried
orange peel. But where the
Ginger Shortbread Cookie
pulls ahead of other ginger
bread cookies is in the rich,
buttery taste and chewable
texture. The butter adds
deep richness. And, while
this is a firm cookie, it is
moister than the conven
tional gingerbread cookie.
The shortbread ingredients
in this recipe prevent it from
being dry and overly firm.
The Ginger Shortbread
Cookie has a powerful fes
tive holiday aroma during
baking and well after cool
ing. Decorate with icing and
candies, serve with icy cold
milk!
For anyone who loves the
combination of cherries and
almonds, the new Cherry
Almond Shortbread Cookie
will be a treat to remem
ber. Chopped dried cher
ries liven up a rich, buttery
shortbread cookie. Almond
extract flavors the cookie
dough, and the shaped cook
Shortbread: a traditional treat
The origin of shortbread cookies is traced to Scotland, where they are known as bis
cuits, but shortbread cookies are also very popular in Denmark. Originally enjoyed by
peasants and commoners, shortbread cookies were eventually embraced by European
royalty.
It is believed the name shortbread derives from the shortening (butter) content of
the cookies. Commonly, a shortbread cookie recipe follows a basic formula of one part
sugar, two parts butter and three parts flour, although there are hundreds of variations
and the ratio of butter-to-flour can be as little as one-to-three. Shortbread cookie batter
is relatively stiff, which allows it to hold its shape and to even hold patterns -- some
times elaborate patterns -- through baking. Shortbread cookies are usually shaped as
rounds or squares. They are baked at a relatively low temperature, to minimize brown
ing. Often, a light sprinkling of sugar is added to the top of shortbread cookies while
they cool.
While classic shortbread cookies have a high butter content, they can also be quite
hard. Some Americans find the texture a bit too hard, and that’s where corn starch
helps. Corn starch softens shortbread cookies just enough to make them appealing to
those who have opted to other forms of cookies besides shortbread.
Personalized Gifts!
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TOTES and HANDBAGS!
Great Holiday Gifts!
Come check out Nuhht’s BAGS!
478-988-2448 or Fax: 478-988-2490
740 Main Street • Perry GA 31069
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<yt S-macC: mail@sewingbees.com
ies are topped with slivered
almonds and a layer of sugar.
Smooth and soothing Cherry
Almond Shortbread Cookies
are absolutely perfect with
a cup of steaming hot tea.
These will become a favorite
cookie to make throughout
the year.
Homemade is always bet
ter. With homemade cook
ies, you control the ingre
dients. Homemade cookies
contain no preservatives,
no partially hydrogenated
oils, no mystery ingredients.
And you control “the good
stuff,” like chocolate chips
and nuts. Want more? Want
less? With homemade, you
are in control.
Ginger
Shortbread
Cookie
Three Dozen Cookies
3 cups flour
1 cup light brown
sugar
1/4 cup Argo Corn
Starch
1-1/2 tablespoon dried
orange peel
1 tablespoon ground
ginger
1 tablespoon pumpkin
pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
1 cup cold butter, cut
into 1-inch pieces
Icings, sugars and
sprinkles
Mix flour, sugar, corn
starch, orange peel, ginger,
pumpkin pie spice, baking
soda and salt in a large mix
ing bowl. Whisk molasses,
water and egg in small bowl;
set aside.
Pour molasses mixture
over flour; beat with mixer
until dough forms a ball.
Knead for 2 to 3 minutes
until smooth. Divide in half,
wrap in plastic wrap. Chill a
minimum of 2 hours.
Cut butter into flour mix
ture using a pastry blender
or 2 knives until the mixture
resembles coarse meal.
Roll dough on lightly
floured surface to 1/4 inch
thickness. Cut with cookie
cutters. Place on baking
sheets.
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes
in a preheated 350°F oven.
Cool on wire racks.
Decorate as desired with
icings, sugars and sprinkles.
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Argo Corn Starch
Ginger shortbread cookies are richer and chewier than their classic cousins, but with just as much delicious spice .
Cherry Almond
Shortbread
Cookie
Makes 36-40 cookies
1 cup butter (no substi
tutes), softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond
extract
2 cups flour
1/4 cup Argo Corn
Starch
1/2 cup finely chopped
dried cherries
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup slivered
almonds
See COOKIE, page 6C
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FOOD
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Argo Corn Starch
Smooth and soothing cherry almond shortbread cookies are a treat to remember
throughout the year.
1 Meat + 2 Vegetables +> Bread + Tea
$6.25
A EVENINGS - Thur& Fri spm-Bpm i
| Menn^S
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Judy
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HOURS:
Mon - Fri 11am - 2pm
Thurs & Fri Nights
spm - Bpm
41345
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626 Courtney Hodges Blvd. • Perry, GA
478-988-2643
00041125
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2006 ♦
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