Shortbread and Gingerbread Cookies

I've made some Shortbread and Gingerbread (yikes they ryhmed :D) Cookies right before Christmas. I've used the recipes from Donna Hay's Modern Classics Book 2. I just loved this book! All the recipes in this book worked except for the cookies haha... well the dough turned out to be too soft, maybe due to our weather, just like the supposedly-to-be-star-cookies. I could have store them in the fridge for more than 4 hours before shaping but I just don't have the time. All I did have was a mere 30 mins.

Anyway, I cheated and dusted flour on the dough after rolling so that I can press out the cookies in the cutters. So as I went along... the batch towards the end came out rather hard. Sorry to the few of the recipients of these cookies :P

Tastewise, the shortbread was nice BUT the gingerbread smelt so great whilst baking! So Christmassy... The gingerbread cookies were a tad hardy but crunchy, kinda like it as I crunch along finishing the star.

My boiboi "decorated" these shortbread with colourful sprinkles and coloured sugar.

So here are the recipes if you wish to try them yourself ;-)

Shortbread

220g chilled butter, chopped
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

Pre-heat oven to 160C. Process all ingredients in food processor (Ive used my mixer instead, worked as well) until a smooth dough is formed.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead gently.

Press mixture into a 20cm x 30 cm (8in x 12 in) slice tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon and score the top into long bars. Bake for 1 hour or until golden. Cool in tin. Slice along the score marks, makes 22 slices.

Or you can roll into balls, place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper and flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 22-25 mins or until just golden brown.


Gingerbread

125g butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup golden syrup (I replaced with honey)
21/2 cups plain flour, sifted
2 tsps ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

Preheat oven to 190C. Place butter and sugar in bowl and beat with electric beaters until light and creamy. Add golden syrup, flour, ginger and baking soda and mix to form a smooth dough. Refrigerate for 10 mins or until dough is firm.

Roll out dough between sheets of non-stick baking paper to 4mm (1/4 in) thick. Cut out shapes from dough using cookie cutter. Place on baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for 8-10mins or until golden brown. Cool on tray.

Ref: Donna Hay, Modern Classics Book 2, page 12 and 32

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