Nine down, three to go in the 12 Days of Cookies people. So on Day 9 let’s talk about that holiday classic, shortbread. You really can’t have a holiday cookie assortment without a buttery shortbread of some sort, am I right? While I did a super fancy layered version back on Day 1 (Pretzel Caramel Shortbread), a simple vanilla shortbread is a classic. It’s a sure fire crowd pleaser but also fairly commonplace so let’s mix this up a bit, shall we? Lets do something interesting, with unexpected textures and flavors and a little festive color thrown in for kicks. In that spirit, today’s cookie post is Orange Cranberry Cornmeal Shortbread.
I often like a little texture, a little something interesting in my cookies so I turned my attention to cornmeal. There’s a lime cornmeal cookie out there that I particularly enjoy so I started with that idea. Due to some recent consulting projects, I had at least five types of artisan cornmeal in the house: medium grind, stone-ground, white, yellow, red flint as well as a few types of grits. I started with the medium grind. Bad call; I hated it. The shortbread was unpleasantly gritty and ended up in the trash. Looking at my cornmeal stash, I realized none of my fancy cornmeals were right for this one. So much for trying to use up what I have. I was off to the store to add to the ever-growing pile of stuff accumulating in my house.
No need to buy anything fancy for this one; the Quaker brand yellow cornmeal commonly available does the trick perfectly. To the dough I added orange zest and coarsely chopped cranberries for a festive flair and for fun, I added a touch of orange flower water. It really emphasizes the orange nicely and lends a lovely scent. Uncharacteristically I stopped there, resisting the urge to add pistachios though the red/green contrast was extremely appealing. Just the orange and cranberry was exactly enough and the cornmeal gave a nice little crunch. It is absolutely delightful.
This is an easy one but there is a trick for cutting shortbread. Score it immediately out of the oven while it’s soft and warm. Wait too long and you’ll end up with messy shards. And there’s a little trick I learned working in restaurants; as the shortbread comes out of the oven, quickly drop it on a counter to deflate any bubbles that may have developed during baking. The hard rap compresses the dough in a lovely way. But wait, there’s more … after the drop while it’s still hot, quickly sprinkle sugar over the surface and tilt/shake to cover the surface evenly. This gives a nice light sugar coating and a delectable subtle crunch, which is highly desirable.
STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: HIGH REWARD. There’s something comforting about pressing this dough into the pan and it reminds me a little of the play-doh projects of my youth. I brought a tray to a friends post-Thanksgiving football party and these cookies disappeared within minutes. I was a little stunned by the response – buttery, a little crunchy with a bright orange flavor, they were a huge hit. And that made me happy. It’s a good recipe when you want to mix it up a little bit.
Six years ago: Gingerbread with the Kids
Five years ago: Christmas Cookie Primer, Gingerbread with the Kids
Four years ago: Homemade for the Holidays
Three years ago: Lemon Slice Cookies
Two years ago: Peppermint Cookie Platter (a great way to showcase your cookies!)
Last year: Cider Apple Pie
12 Days of Cookies Recap so far:
— Day 1 – Pretzel Caramel Shortbread
— Day 2 – Fig Mezzaluna
— Day 3 – Dutch Windmills
— Day 4 – Bourbon Peach Rugelah
— Day 5 – Chai Spiced Meringue Kisses
— Day 6 – Almond Joy Bars
— Day 7 – Swedish Kringla
— Day 8 – Chile Lime Macaroons
ORANGE CRANBERRY CORNMEAL SHORTBREAD
Makes about 36 3” x ¾” bars
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 ½ sticks)
¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons finely grated orange zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon orange flower water
¼ cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons sugar
- Line a 9”x9” baking pan with a criss-cross of parchment paper making sure you have a bit of an overhang and spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, and salt to blend.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, powdered sugar, orange zest, vanilla and orange flower water on medium-high until light and creamy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape the bowl.
- Reduce the speed to low, add the flour and mix until the dough begins to form moist clumps.
- Turn the dough into the prepared pan.
- Press the dough into the pan in a smooth, even layer.
- Chill for 30 minutes.
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325°F.
- Bake until the top look dry and golden brown, 35-40 minutes.
- Immediately drop the pan firmly onto the counter (or the floor if no one is looking), to deflate the shortbread.
- Quickly sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of sugar on top, tilting the pan back and forth to spread evenly.
- Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and with a sharp paring knife, immediately score the shortbread into bars – 3” l x ¾” w, (the knife may snag a cranberry. Persevere.). It’s important to do this right away; if you wait until it has cooled, you’ll have a big crumbly mess. Delicious still, but a mess.
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan before removing them with a small, flexible offset spatula.
- Do Ahead: the dough can be pressed into the pan and frozen, tightly wrapped, up to 1 month. Bake right from the freezer, adding a few extra minutes to the overall baking time. The baked bars keep, well wrapped, for up to three days a room temperature.
Leave a Reply