Shortbread cookies

While the babies are still sleeping, I made chocolate chip shortbread. It's the traditional recipe plus the addition of chocolate chips. Of course this might be old news to some of you, but I am exploring the flavor possibilities. I've tried ginger, pandan, green tea, chocolate, dried fruits, lemon, almond, lavender and even black pepper. Chocolate chip was tasty, but the chocolate I used might not be to everyone's taste. It was 53.8% Callebaut chocolate. Not at all milky or bittersweet. Close to semi-sweet but has a deeper chocolate taste and a fruity finish. I was skeptical at first out of the oven, but seeing as how I can't stop eating them...it works for this family. The classic is still the best so I will share the recipe. I don't know who originally wrote the recipe down but this one was handed down to me by my in laws.

Scottish Shortbread

1 pound of butter, soften
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of rice flour
4 cups of all purpose flour
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract*
pinch of salt *

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the salt and gradually add the flours to the butter. The finished dough will resemble crumbs. Pour mixture into a 15 x 10 glass baking pan and press cookie dough into the pan. Poke the dough in several places with a fork and bake for an hour or until the shortbread is a nice golden color. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting it into squares.
(* the vanilla extract and salt are my recent additions)


Have fun testing out the recipe. If you can't find rice flour, corn starch can be substituted.

• Thanksgiving cards for family. Done.
• Test cookie recipes....still testing.

Okay, so now I have to mail the cards. Hopefully that will get done tomorrow. I tested a new cookie recipe from a magazine and decided that it will not be one for giving this year or any other year. It just wasn't our type of cookie. It had cream cheese in it which made me want to try it, but once made it wasn't as good as I thought.

I made the famous MacMillan family shortbread the other day and the whole pan is almost gone. Primarily consumed by yours truly. I forgot how addicted to those cookies I am! This year I added vanilla extract in the mix, which is not in the original recipe, and it tasted like those packaged Walker's shortbread!!!
Hopefully, the family will like my addition to the shortbread. I thought about turning them into turtle bars by adding caramel, pecans,and chocolate but they are just fine the way they are. It would be too sweet with all the other toppings (I made a batch and it's almost all gone).

I wanted to go to Toys R' Us today because they are having a 2 day sale this weekend on toys, but I don't think I'll get to it. It is so hard taking Kai out in public now, he just wants to do what he wants to do. I rather not deal with a toddler tantrum in public. I just don't have the energy right now.

Jimmy came home sick after his cake contest yesterday so I didn't make the beef stew (that is tonight's dinner). Instead, I made him a pot of chicken soup with orzo. He is a little better today, but still feeling under the weather.
We always get sick when the temperature goes up and down like it has been doing lately.

Tomorrow, I plan on making vegetarian moussaka and Sunday is junk food day....I'm thinking mini-sausages in the crock pot with bar b que sauce and mac n' cheese. Then to continue testing recipes.

Holidays are here again.

Oh me, oh my, how quickly time has passed us by.

All this time I've been thinking about Christmas preparations, Thanksgiving has crept up on me. It's less than two weeks away. I know I'll make turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes. Oh, of course Jimmy's must have blend of mashed potatoes with rutabaga. Now, to decide on the something green and dessert.

Oh, it should be so easy with Jimmy being the pastry chef, but it's not. I love it all. Pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, sweet potato pie, and again all those flavors in cheesecake form..mmmmm. I want a little of everything!! It's not such a hard decision when you are celebrating with all the extended family, but since our family members are scattered throughout the US it's hard to get together. So I have to shrink everything down for four.

Oh brilliant, just solved my own problem. I'll make mini-pies, that way I can have it all. I could freeze the ones we don't get to. You are probably thinking that I'm crazy, but it is the season of eating so that's my excuse.
If you ask Jimmy, he would say who am I trying to kid, I eat like that all the time. Yes, I love sweets, that's why Jimmy is my perfect match--he doesn't mind.

Then I have to make the Thanksgiving cards with the kids for the family. Every year, I outline Kai's hands to make hand turkeys. Last year was Kai's and Nico's hands, this year will be Kai's and Bella's.

After Thanksgiving is over, I have to start testing cookie recipes and decide on what all is going in our gift baskets. Stress, stress, stress!

Now, I'll turn on the radio and listen to the Christmas songs to help motivate me.

Until the next post, live, laugh, love and eat well.