Old-Fashioned Shortbread
Updated Dec. 17, 2024
- Total Time
- 4 hours
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 55 minutes, plus 3 hours’ chilling and cooling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ½cup/82 grams dried sour cherries
- ⅓cup/50 grams diced candied orange peel
- ¼cup/50 grams bourbon or rye
- ¾cup/168 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½cup/100 grams sugar
- ½teaspoon fine salt
- 1large egg, separated
- 1½cups/ 195 grams all-purpose flour
- ½cup/50 grams sliced blanched almonds
Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)
123 calories; 7 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 54 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Combine the cherries, orange peel and bourbon in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until bubbling, then remove from the heat and stir. Let sit until cool. (To cool to room temperature more quickly, transfer to a bowl.)
- Step 2
Beat the butter, sugar and salt using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer on medium-low speed until pale yellow and creamy. Beat in the egg yolk until incorporated, then scrape the bowl. Beat in the flour on low speed until the dough forms a soft, smooth mass. You also can beat everything by hand with a wooden spoon.
- Step 3
Using your hand, scoop the cherry mixture out of the bourbon, gently squeezing out excess liquid and reserving the bourbon. Add the cherry mixture to the dough, along with the almonds. Mix until evenly distributed.
- Step 4
Shape the dough into a log 2 inches in diameter (about 12 inches long) on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. (Refrigerate the egg white and reserved bourbon too.)
- Step 5
Heat the oven to 350 degrees when ready to bake and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Step 6
Whisk 1 teaspoon reserved bourbon into the egg white. (Save the rest for a cocktail.) Cut the log into ½-inch-thick slices and space an inch apart on the baking sheets. Brush or rub the egg white evenly over the tops.
- Step 7
Bake 1 sheet at a time until golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Cool completely on the sheets. The shortbread will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.
Private Notes
Comments
You can skip the bourbon and all the steps with it (soaking the fruit, draining it and using the bourbon for the egg white wash). You can add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract when you add the egg yolk. You can then just stir in the dried cherries and candied orange peel in step 3, along with the almonds. You don't have to then brush the rounds with the egg white, but if you want your cookies to have a little shine, you can whisk a teaspoon water into the egg white.
I just finished baking my first batch. These are without a doubt winners! I think paired with some sharp cheese on an appetizer board is going to work perfectly. Just sweet enough. Also, what a great recipe. Just follow along! This is definitely one to use your stand mixer. A food processor will not work to cream the butter, sugar and egg yolk. One thought is to not skip the egg wash. I will be up late tonight mixing up additional batch to be certain to have enough to share these.
Judy, your cookies may have spread because the dough was over beaten/creamed. Shortbread dough should be just-mixed. Maybe try mixing everything by hand, if you used a mixer the first time. Also, I have found that some parchment papers are more slippery than others. I used to bake butter-heavy shortbread on an unbuttered pan! You might try a different paper.
These are so lovely. I made them to use up some homemade candied peel from my Christmas bread and they made my whole house smell like the holidays. I didn't have cherries so I used dried cranberries plus a little candied ginger. Delicious. And perfect because it doesn't make an acre of cookies.
These finally made the holiday cookie spread this year and were one of my favorites. I'm wondering how to keep the rounded shape. Mine were deformed after coming back out of the snooze in the fridge. I beat on them and tried to roll them a bit again with marginal results. One suggestion is nesting into a sliced open a paper towel cardboard. That would require planning ahead. Folks have other ideas (aside from purchasing more equipment that I don't have space for)?
was it worth making the candied orange peel for this? maybe not unless it's a special occasion. but what a fun twist on a shortbread cookie!