Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Culinary IQ: Wednesday, December 14, 2011: Formed Cookies

Any Shape or Form

Formed cookies are cookies that are usually a firm, short, or refrigerated dough that has enough structure to form into a shape. They may be rolled into a log, refrigerated and then sliced off to be cooked or they may be rolled into balls or other shapes and baked as is or pressed flat before baking. Formed cookies can also be baked in a form or may have designs pressed into them before they are baked.


One of the most popular formed cookies are Scottish shortbread. Which as its name implies originated in Scotland and defended from a Scottish bread that was twiced baked. The bread contained yeast but the yeast was eventually replaced by butter. Shortbread has three ingredients, 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter and 3 parts flour. Salt has become common in most shortbread recipes and powdered sugar can often be used as part of the sugar.


Because of the method used in making formed cookies they are usually consistent in shape and size.


My favorite shortbread recipe comes from one of my most cherished cookbooks, Rosie's All-Butter Fresh Cream Sugar-Baked No Hold Barred Baking Book by Judy Rosenberg.

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