Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 7 ounces (about 30) assorted hard candies finely chopped

Directions:

1. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.

2. Mix butter and sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, mix until smooth, 1 minute. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in vanilla. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, about 45 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 325 F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Roll out chilled dough on a well floured surface to a little more than 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter. Using a metal spatula, transfer shapes to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Using the tip of a paring knife, make a cutout in the centre of each cookie for candy filling.

4. Sprinkle candy in a single layer in the hole of each cookie, avoiding the corners. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.

5. Bake cookies until candy has melted, completely filled cutout and cookie edges are just starting to turn pale golden brown, 11 to 12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown, or the candy centres may become bubbly. Let cook completely on sheets on wire racks. Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from parchment.

Notes: I wanted to try out a new recipe. I used a star and a heart cookie cutter. I was able to fit two in each ziplock bag to give as a small present. The cookies can be stored in airtight containers in room temperature for up to 5 days.

Adapted from: All Recipes Banana Crumb Muffins
Read more...

Yield: 36 mini tarts

Shortbread Tarts
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or rice flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 8-oz. package cream cheese - softened
- 1 14 ounce (396 grams) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Garnish
Any combination of berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries) or other fruit such as slices of kiwi.

Note: Cornstarch (corn flour) or rice flour replaces some of the all purpose flour to produce a more delicate and fragile shortbread.

Directions:

1. Lightly butter muffin pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven.

2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together (approximately two minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour, cornstarch and salt and mix just until incorporated.

3. Divide the dough into 36 even pieces and place one ball of dough in the center of each muffin tin. With your fingertips, press the dough up the sides of the individual muffin tin so there is an indentation in the center. Once filled, place the tart pan, with the unbaked shells, in the freezer for about 10 minutes so the shortbread can become firm. (This will help to prevent the shortbread from puffing up during baking.)

4. Bake for approximately 18 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned. About halfway through the baking time, lightly prick the bottom of each shortbread, with the tines of a fork, if they have puffed up. Check again after another five minutes and prick again if needed. Once they are fully baked, remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. When completely cooled, remove the tarts from the pan. (These may be made in large quantities and frozen.)

5. Use electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the condensed milk, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla and process until smooth. Transfer the filling to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until serving time. It is best to make the filling at least a day in advance to give it time to become firm and for all the flavors to mingle.

Notes: The filled tart shells can be made several hours in advance and refrigerated. Just before serving top with fresh berries or cut up fruit.



















Adapted from: Joy of Baking Shortbread Tarts filled with Cream Read more...