Santa Loves Shortbread

(ARA) - Santa loves his traditional milk and cookies, but even Santa likes to be surprised. This year, spice up traditional shortbread recipes with real butter and flavors of-the-moment that are popular in restaurants across the country.

Sea salt and Chai seasonings are two of the new must-have ingredients featured among several updated classic cookie recipes from America's Dairy Farmers. While the ingredients in the following recipes may look exotic, they can be found in any grocery store - and the cookies are easy to make!

The Brown Butter Hazelnut Shortbread bar cookie sounds complicated, but is as simple as mix, pour, bake and slice. Or, consider Vanilla-Chai Icebox Shortbread cookies - these refrigerator cookies are simply chilled, sliced and baked. Made with wholesome, real butter, these shortbreads will have you cheering "Ho, Ho, Ho" for more!

For more must-have holiday cookie recipes visit, www.ButterIsBest.com.

Brown Butter Hazelnut Shortbread with Fleur de Sel

Browning a portion of the butter before adding it to the cookie batter intensifies the buttery taste of this crisp, nutty shortbread. The final flourish of fleur de sel or sea salt enhances the flavors and textures of the cookie - adding a salty edge and satisfying crunch.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

Shortbread:

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened but still cool, divided

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt, plus a pinch, divided

1 large egg, separated

1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

Topping:
1-1/2 cups (6-3/4 oz.) chopped hazelnuts

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 heaping tsp. coarse fleur de sel or sea salt (see shopping notes)

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (see shopping notes)

Shopping notes:

* Look for coarse fleur de sel at specialty food markets or for sea salt at most supermarkets.

* For the best chocolate flavor, look for bittersweet chocolate with a minimum of 60 percent cocoa solids.

1. Place 1/2 stick of butter (4 Tbsp.) in small saucepan over moderate heat. Melt and cook until butter stops foaming, smells toasty and begins to brown, about 10 min. The browner the butter, the deeper the flavor, but don't let it blacken or burn. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Place the remaining butter (12 Tbsp.) in a bowl. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat until creamy. Add the sugars and salt and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and cooled browned butter. Mix to combine. Then add flour, 1 cup at a time, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Chill the batter for 20 to 30 min.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with oven rack in the middle. Butter a 10- by 15-inch jelly roll pan. Divide dough into 8 rough portions and arrange them evenly in the pan. Press dough into an even layer to fill the pan.

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a pinch of salt. Brush mixture evenly over the dough. Sprinkle hazelnuts over the top; press down lightly. In another small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. sugar with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and sprinkle over nuts. Sprinkle sea salt over the top.

4. Bake, rotating the pan once halfway through baking, until golden brown and crisp, about 25 min. Let cool for 10 min. and cut into 1- to 2-inch squares or diamonds. Transfer to a cooling rack.

5. Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Using a very small tipped pastry bag or the tines of a fork, drizzle the chocolate over the tops of the shortbreads.

Vanilla-Chai Icebox Shortbread Cookies

Chai, a sweetened Indian-spiced tea, has become a coffeehouse favorite, and its warming flavors of cardamom and ginger offer a delicious update to a traditional holiday spice blend. Butter helps carry the aromatic flavors of Chai, developing a tasty, crisp shortbread cookie.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. honey

1/4 tsp. salt

2 large egg yolks

1 medium vanilla bean

Icing:

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

More vanilla bean seed scraping, if desired

1 Tbsp. water

1. In a large bowl, sift or whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, allspice and cardamom. Set aside.

2. Combine butter, sugar, honey and salt in a bowl. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until smooth.

3. Using a small knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half. Scrape the seeds from both sides of the pod with the tip of the knife and add them to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat to combine.

4. Add in flour-spice mixture, 1 cup at a time, blending until fully incorporated.

5. Divide the dough in half and transfer each half to a sheet of wax paper. Using the wax paper, shape into a 12-inch log, rectangle, or square. Chill logs at least 2 hours or overnight.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with an oven rack in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. With a sharp knife, cut logs into 1/8-inch-thick slices and arrange 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned around edges, about 10 to 12 min. Transfer to racks to cool.

8. In a small bowl, whisk together icing ingredients until smooth and transfer to a sealable plastic bag. Cut a 1/8-inch opening in one corner of bag. Arrange cookies as close together as possible on sheets of wax paper and drizzle icing decoratively across the tops.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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