Oh...Dreaming of Scotland
of Scottish Shortbread...and a holiday on the Isle of Eriska!
Sometimes in this cyberworld we stumble across little areas that put a little relaxation in our hearts....and give us glimpses into worlds and occupations that we had little knowledge of before, but inspire us. Go visit The Isle of Eriska blog or click on the above title to cyberly go to the Isle of Eriska.....and start dreaming of holiday!
Well...I will wait to see if they will share a secret authentic scottish shortbread recipe with me, but for the meantime...this one has won some hearts on this side of "the Pond."
CANDIED GINGER SHORTBREAD HEARTS
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger
confectioners' sugar for sprinkling the cookies
In a bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter, the brown sugar, and the ground ginger until the mixture is light and fluffy and add the flour and the salt. Beat the dough until it is just combined and beat in the candied ginger. Halve the dough, roll out each half 1/4 inch thick between sheets of wax paper, and freeze the dough on baking sheets for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is very firm. Working with half the dough at a time, remove the top sheets of wax paper and cut out cookies with a 2 1/4-inch heart-shaped cutter. (The dough should be cold so that the cookies retain their shape.) Arrange the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheets, bake them in batches in the middle of a preheated 300°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are pale golden, and transfer them to a rack. Gather the scraps, reroll the dough, and make more cookies in the same manner. Let the cookies cool completely and sprinkle them with the confectioners' sugar, sifted. The cookies keep in an airtight container for 5 days.
