Parmesan Sea Salt Herb Shortbread Crackers

Yesterday, we set up our annual try-to-keep-it-alive herb garden and I wanted to make something that celebrated all their delicious-ness!

At the same time, it just so happened that on my pinterest board this recipe popped up! It was a terrific guide as far as measurements go, and the idea, but I only had half of the parmesan, so I halved it, and added some sea salt to them before I baked them. I'm glad I did, as it was a nice nod to Slovene salt, and added a little more flavor. They're darling, I love how they look! Not to mention that they're light and tasty!

What you'll need:

- food processor

- baking paper

- rolling pin

- small (2 inch diameter) round cookie cutter

- silicone mat

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbs flour 

- 1/4 cup room temperature (very soft, I left min out overnight) butter

- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

- 1 tbs finely minced fresh rosemary and/or thyme (I did both)

- 1/4 tsp sea salt 

- couple pinches of cracked pepper

- fresh herbs for garnishing

- sea salt flower or regular sea salt for garnishing

- 1/4 tsp water on hand, if you need to make the dough a little wetter. I should've trusted my gut and put it in, I think it would've made it a little easier.

Directions:

1. In the bowl of the food processor, pour flour, butter, parmesan, minced herbs, salt, and pepper. 

2. Pulse the food processor 30 times, until crumbly in texture, and just starting to come together. Here is where you would add the water, if needed.

3. Pour out onto silicone mat, and kneed together into a patty. I found it to be very crumbly, and this step was a little difficult - getting it all to stay together.

4. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

5. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 177 C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

6. Roll out dough between two sheets of baking paper until it is 1/4-1/8 inch thick. At this point, place the fresh herbs on the dough. Put the baking paper back over the dough and roll over it with the rolling pin, thus "laminating" it into the dough. 

7. Cut out the crackers with the cookie cutter. Place on baking sheet. 

8. Re-shape leftover dough, and roll out again, repeating the steps regarding the herbs.

9. Once they were on the baking sheet, I sprinkled sea salt flower (finishing salt) on them, and gently went over them with the rolling pin so that the salt would bake into the cracker.

10. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Allow to fully cool on baking sheet, and serve! 

Makes about 2 dozen.

Perfection!

Please let me know if you give these a try! You won't regret it!

Classic Lemon Bar

Lemon bars. They are one of Dan's favorite desserts; his grandma used to make them.  When we were newly married, I made them from a box, and... well, he didn't like them, and didn't eat them.

We've both come a long way since then - he knows to be kinder in criticism, I've learned that honesty really is the best policy, and I've since learned to bake.

So, I decided to revisit them, now that I've got some "legitimate" baking experience under my belt.

I searched the internet, and found this recipe.  I loved that it had both American and European measurements!

What you'll need:

- mixer with whisk attachment (standing or hand held) or pastry cutter and whisk

- 9x13 baking sheet

- baking paper

- non-stick spray

- kitchen scale (optional)

- measuring cups

- lemon squeezer

- sifter for powdered sugar (optional)

Ingredients:

Shortbread base:

• 1 and 3/4 cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 1/4 cup (32 grams) cornstarch
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter, softened and cubed

Lemon filling:

• 1 and 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (32 grams) all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120ml) fresh lemon juice (for me, that came to about 2 1/2 lemons)

+ powdered sugar and lemon slices for garnishing.

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 °F / 180 °C (325 °F / 162 °C for convection oven).

2. Line pan with baking paper or aluminum foil.  Spray with non-stick spray.

3. We're going to start with the shortbread base. In your standing mixer's bowl, using a whisk attachment, combine flour, corn starch, sugar and salt.  Bring speed to a medium low.  As the whisk is going, start adding the cubed butter (or use a pastry cutter).  Mix until just starting to combine.

4. Press down into the bottom of pan, and level out as much as possible.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until just starting to get golden around edges.  Remove from oven, and set aside.

6. While it's baking, start working on filling.  Whisk together (by hand, or using a mixer) sugar and flour.  Add eggs and lemon juice until fully combined. 

7. Poor over shortbread, place back in oven, and bake at the same heat for an extra 18-22 minutes, until lemon filling is set (when you shake it, it seems pretty firm).  

8. Remove from oven, and allow to cool on wire rack for 1 hour.

9. Lightly cover, and chill further in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

10. Remove from pan, cut into squares (12 squares work out pretty perfectly).

11. Sift powdered sugar over top, garnish with a slice of lemon - and you have the perfect "come on, Spring!" dessert!

There is nothing like a tart, bright yellow dessert to get you in the mood for Spring!

This time around, Dan loved the lemon bars, and told me that they were "almost" as good as his grandma's - I'll take it!! There's really no way to compete with grandma, and I wouldn't even want to. :)

And there you go! :)

Do you enjoy lemon desserts?  What is your favorite?

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookie

Sing with me, "It's the most wonderful time of the year..."

The time of the year I bake cookies, and reacquaint myself with the oven.  Kidding.  Sort of.

Our littlest Peanut is fighting her first cold, so unfortunately she and I couldn't go pick out a Christmas tree.  I wanted to make sure that when the boys got back, it felt as Christmassy and festive as possible, so I baked some yummy cookies. I wanted to try a new cookie, and found a recipe for Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies.  I'd never made shortbread before, and was excited at the short ingredients list - all of which I already had!  They turned out very tasty, and were a rounding success with the boys!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cups sugar (1/4 for cranberries, 1/2 cup for dough)

2 1/2 cups flour (spooned and leveled, not scooped)

1 cup unsalted butter (cubed and cold)

1-2 tsp vanilla extract (the original called for almond, which would be great too, I'm sure.  All I had was vanilla, and it worked really well!)

The zest of one orange

1-2 tbs fresh squeezed orange juice

Extra sugar in a a bowl for coating

Directions:

1. Pulse together the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor, until it breaks up the dried cranberries.

2. Combine flour and remaining sugar in a bowl.  Set aside.

3. Use a pastry cutter (or two forks) to cut in cold butter, until you get fine crumbs.

4. Stir in extract, cranberry mixture, orange zest and juice.

5. Knead dough with your hands, until it comes together into a ball.

6. Form into a log, about 2 inches in diameter.

7. Refrigerate for 2 hours.  (Or up to 72 hours.)  (Or do what I did - use half now, and half later.)

8. Preheat oven to 325 F (163 C).  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Take the dough log out of the fridge, and cut into 1/4 inch slices.  Roll slices in the sugar in the bowl (making sure to get both sides and the edges.)

9. Place on baking sheet, about an inch apart.  (They don't expand much, but I'm notorious for cookies sticking together, so I was over-cautious.)

10. Bake for 12-15 minutes.  It's important not to over-bake them.  I baked them for about 13 minutes.

11. Let them completely cool on the pan before handling them.  

Ta-da!!

The original post says they are good for 3 days when kept in an air tight container, or for 3 months in the freezer.  That makes them perfect to bake ahead for the Christmas season.

These are definitely making the final cut for cookies for neighbors and friends!  Scrumptious!