Eat Together, Make Life Delicious...

This recipe is a combo of my favorite two cookies: shortbread and sugar cookies. I prefer to prepare this without a mixer, even though it takes a bit more time, it does in my opinion make the cookie taste more flaky. The reason (I think) is because you have to mash the butter into the flour which forces it to incorporate a differnt way than a mixer would do it. To see this technique in action, because you really should to get it, watch the video below.

And, if you want to use a mixer, which I certain do when I am in a rush, I have included those instructions below! The ingredients are the same for both techniques.

The second most important thing to remember (whether using a mixer or not) when preparing these cookies is to "cook them just enough".

Shortbread is supposed to be dense, lightly done, and flaky. So keep that in mind when it is time to pull them out of the oven. They may look slightly undone. I remember my first batch, I kept them in the oven a little too long and they became too brown and brittle.

Shortbread Sugar Cookies (with a mixer)

2 sticks of unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1¾ all purpose flour, plus more flour for dusting
1/8 teaspoon salt
olive oil
sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt and mix until thoroughly blended. Once the dough starts to form, turn it out on to a well floured surface and roll out the cookie dough with a well floured rolling pin until it’s a little less than a ½-inch thick. Cut out cookie shapes with cookie cutters and transfer each cookie to a silpat-lined cookie sheet no closer than 1 inch apart. Continue working through the dough until all of it is used. This recipe should make about 16 cookies, but this number will vary based on the thickness of the dough and of course the size of the cookie cutters.

Pour the olive oil on a plate and pour the sugar in a shallow bowl. Take a cup (that has a base which is about the same size of the cookie) and place the base into the olive oil and then into the sugar. The sugar should stick to the bottom of the cup. Carefully and gently press the sugar on the bottom of the cup onto the top of the cookie to give it a sugar coating. Repeat this until all the cookies are done. If more olive oil and sugar is needed, simple put out more.

Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies start to take on a very light golden hue. Since every oven has hot spots, it is a good idea to rotate the cookie sheet during the cooking process. When the cookies are at your desired doneness, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cookie rack to cool. Serve immediately.


Note: A fun twist to to these cookies is to include little bits of chocolate or dried fruit.

Labels: Cookies, no mixer, shortbread sugar cookies

When it comes to Ice Box Cake-homemade whipped cream and cookies assembled to resemble a cake-quantities are whatever you want them to be. The rule of thumb is, the thinner the cookies, the less whipped cream you'll need. But, with all rules in the kitchen, they are there to be broken, so feel free to do whatever you like. I like to prepare my ice box cake in a spring cake pan so I can remove the ring and serve it on the base otherwise just build the cake on a regular plate. Make sure whatever you place the cake on/in fits in the freezer before getting started. It's quite difficult to undo after the fact...

And when I write build, yes, I really do mean that one cookie at a time.

Ice Box Cake

8 ounces heavy whipping cream
20 of your favorite thin cookies
handful of fresh strawberries

Pour the heavy whipping cream in a kitchen mixer fitted with the whip. Slowly turn on the mixer up to medium high speed and whip the cream until it resembles whipped cream. This will take a few minutes. I suggest using a splatter guard if you have one.

Now it's time to assemble the cake.

Hold one cookie in your hand and icing the face of it with the whipped cream. Place another cookie on top of it so the whipped cream is sandwich between the two. Continue icing all the cookies until they are creamed together. As the cake grows you will have to lay it in the spring cake pan.

Once all the cookies are creamed together begin icing the outter layer until it is completely covered. There will most likely be whipped cream left over, which should be placed in the refrigerator for another time.

Place the spring pan into the freezer and let it set for 20 to 30 minutes. It doesn't take long.

Meanwhile rinse and hull the strawberries. Cut them into thin slices and set them aside.

The the ice box cake has set, cut thin slices and serve with strawberries on top. I suggest cutting against the cookies so you get a nice presentation.



Rebecca makes Ice Box Cake with her kids and nieces that live in New England. Ice Box Cake is an easy dessert that takes no time at all to prepare. And that's good because with all those kids...the faster, the better!

Labels: Cookies, Easy Desserts, Ice Box Cake, Whipped Cream