Remember my new cookie press? Well, I think I’m in love with it. I found a simple shortbread recipe that calls for only four ingredients. (via the Joy of Baking.) The fun part was finding fillings to make little shortbread sandwiches. I tried three different fillings and am so excited to share them with you.
This was my very favorite. Lemon curd has to be the closest thing on earth to sunshine in a jar. If you love lemon, you might become addicted. It’s such an intensely flavored combination of tart and sweet. (I stirred some of the left over curd into my yogurt. Oh my word, it was to die for.)
The second filling is a pistachio cream. A little brown sugar, cream, and chopped pistachios make for a cookie filling that’s not too sweet. The last filling was strawberries and cream. This was Stu’s favorite. He thought it tasted like a strawberry cheese cake. I mixed half a stick of cream cheese with some powdered sugar and then layered thinly sliced strawberries on top.
The basic shortbread recipe was so quick and easy. I’m definitely using it again. You could dip the cookies in chocolate or just spread your favorite jam between them.
Baking Instructions:
1. Whisk 2 cups of flour and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a bowl.
2. Beat 2 sticks of butter until creamy.
3. Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and beat for about two minutes.
4. Beat in one teaspoon of vanilla extract. (I added food coloring and a squeeze of lemon juice to the lemon cookies during this step.)
5. Stir in flour mixture until combined.
6. Flatten the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour.
7. Preheat oven to 350.
8. Roll dough on a floured board. You can stamp and cut or just use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies.
9. Lay on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. (This helps them keep their shape while baking.)
10. Bake for 8-10 minutes and then cool before filling.
You can actually turn any stamp into a cookie press. Make sure you either use clean stamps or thoroughly clean and dry the stamp pad if it’s been used with ink before. If the stamp sticks to the cookie, use a little cooking spray to help.Wouldn’t these be great for Easter?
I’d love to hear some more ideas for fillings. What would you suggest?
Linked up with…
http://www.centsationalgirl.com/
http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/
http://www.blessedwithgrace.net/
http://nap-timecreations.blogspot.com/
http://mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/
http://permanentposies.com/
http://www.messhalltobistro.blogspot.com/
http://www.33shadesofgreen.blogspot.com/
http://raegunwear.blogspot.com/
http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/
http://www.jaqsstudio.com/
http://www.733blog.com/
http://www.creationsbykara.com/
http://www.oopseydaisyblog.com/
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
http://savedbylovecreations.com/
http://www.katiesnestingspot.com/
Gingerbread White Hot Chocolate
Mushroom and Kale Soup
Texas Caviar
Lazy Day Chocolate Chip Pancakes
i love your wood handle press….after you posted about it the other day i tried to find one online but could not. i only found plastic ones~ do you know of any online sources? thanks
That’s adorable! I don’t typically bake or cook haha. But this is fun!
you always have the most beautiful pictures of your projects. I love seeing the thumbnails on my Google Reader – like a sneak peak of something totally cute. Love these cookies!
Aww, thanks Leah:) Danielia, I don’t usually bake either, but these cookies were not too hard!
@lulusparkles- I found one via Fancy Flours. Here’s the link:
http://www.fancyflours.com/New-Cookie-Cutters/products/617/
Lovely!!! Congratulations, i love stop by ***
Woohoo! I’m so glad it works! 🙂
Cookie press!??? Oh my goodness I want one! Pistachio cream filled shortbread cookies sound amazing! If you ever need a taste tester I’m sure they’ll hold up in the mail 😉
Kelly- THANK YOU for the most amazing little gift:)
Tan-Hah! Canadian post offices would love that, huh?
Those turned out so cute pistachio yum!
Oh my goodness! These are too cute to eat!
Those look amazing – I’ve used cookie presses (from Stampin Up) before but never thought to turn them into sandwiches! Thanks for the great idea!
thanks for finding me a link!
Lovely cookies!
Do you think these would work well as an ice cream sandwich base? 😮 I’ve been looking everywhere for a shortbread cookie that holds it’s shape that would work and these look so pretty!
xoxo
– Eve
Eve, they hold their shape until a certain point. Then break more like a cracker than a cookie. I think they’d make beautiful ice cream sandwiches! Would love to hear how it turns out if you try them.
I have always wanted to try out a cookie press! These look so lovely! Thanks for sharing at oopsey daisy!
These look incredible, Heather…as does everything else you make or do. I think I need to start cooking and baking now that I’m a mom. (But it’s SO much easier to just buy stuff!)
Those are too pretty to eat. Thanks for sharing at Wow.
I want, I need, I must have a cookie press! These are SO gorgeous! What a beautiful blog post!
Jo-Anna
Love it!
I featured you today on my blog 🙂
http://www.jaqsstudio.com/2012/04/made-by-me-26-linky-party-and-features.html
I love the cookie press, and your photos are just lovely! This is my first time visiting your blog (found you through JAQS Studio) and I plan on looking around for a while! 🙂
Oh ! i made the book with the cookies press! So happy to see a recipe here !! Thanks !!!
Okay, where do I start. First, lemon curd – it’s like heaven. Second, I love shortbread cookies. Third, oh em gee your press is divine! And fourth, dang that’s an awesome chalkboard shot! Thanks for linking up today!
xo
Kate
Nutella and bits of orange rind would make a fabulous filling for these lovely cookies. 🙂
oooh, that’s an awesome idea!
Wouldn’t honey, crushed walnut and cream cheese taste wonderful?
YES! Even a hint of cinnamon with that too.
I’ve never used a cookie press. Do you have to cut around the design with a knife or does it cut the whole way through the dough? Thanks. Your cookies are lovely.