The best time of the year is already back! If we say chocolate, gifts and Mariah Carey, do you know what we mean? And yes, it is Christmas! And to welcome this time of year, nothing better than a little trip to the kitchen. That's why today Kidlee offers you some ideas for Christmas shortbread to make with the kids!
3 basic principles to know before you start
You should know that the base of a shortcrust pastry is the same for all recipes: sugar, butter and eggs perhaps. Then, for the variations, you will find almond powder, cocoa or cinnamon. Anyway, the variations of shortcrust pastry are endless but some mistakes not to make are common for ALL shortcrust pastry.
- Be careful not to overwork the dough!
The more you work it, the more it risks to lose its sandy side and thus to become hard. The trick is to quickly roll it into a ball, for crumbly, melting shortbread.
- A little trip to the fridge for at least 30 minutes!
This will allow the butter to firm up so the dough will be easier to roll out and also it will not shrink once in the oven.
- Succeeding in the fateful step, that of cooking.
In general, a shortbread bakes in 10 minutes at 180°C, a little more or less depending on its size and the oven. Some shortbread will remain pale while others should be barely golden. Once your shortbread is the right color, take it out of the oven and let it cool before handling it, otherwise you will end up with crumbs and not shortbread.
A successful recipe every time
The editors have found for you Ze recipe for Christmas shortbread, with a rating of 4.5/5, it's the number one according to Mr. Google.
You will need:
- 240 g Flour
- 150 g Butter
- 90 g Sugar
- 1 sachet Vanilla sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 pinch Salt
Now that your ingredients are ready, all that's left to do is start the preparation! First, start by mixing the flour, sugars and salt. Next, add the soft, diced butter and mix until you reach a sandy consistency.
Make a well and add the egg yolk. Then, knead with your fingertips for a few minutes to obtain a non-sticky dough and gather it into a ball. Then wrap it in cling film and keep it in a cool place for 1 hour.
And don't forget to preheat the oven to 180°C!
Let's get back to the dough, you have to roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper. All you have to do is cut out the shapes with one or more cookie cutters and brush them with egg yolk. Count 8 to 10 min in the oven and do not be too impatient when they come out, they still need time to cool.
And if not for super original Christmas shortbread, what do we do?
Christmas shortbread in the shape of a crown
Here, the dough should be separated into two equal parts to add cocoa to one of them. Then cut out stars of different sizes and arrange them in a circle on the baking sheet! Alternatively, you can also form a circle and then arrange stars on either side of it.
A tree that can be eaten
You just need to cut out several stars of decreasing size and arrange them one on top of the other from the largest to the smallest, because this tree still has to fit!
Christmas shortbread to decorate your tree
To do this, you'll need to make a hole with a straw before putting your beautiful shortbread in the oven. And don't forget to put the ribbon!
