Anyone who has ever taken a tray full of melted puddles of chocolate out of the oven instead of chocolate sticks is well advised to use these tips because fine shortbread cookies are not as complicated as you think if you pay attention to a few points!
Trick 17 for shortbread: The cold does it
Shortcrust pastry, for example, likes it cold. It is advisable to place the baking tray in the fridge for about an hour before you apply the dough, or if possible in front of the door or on the balcony. After the biscuits have been placed on the well-chilled tray, it is best to put them back in the fridge or on the balcony for an hour. Then they go straight into the preheated oven. This way the biscuits keep their shaped shape.
What eggs and butter might have to do with it… If the dough is much too soft, this may be because the eggs or yolks used are too large. If you get along well with your dough, you can try to use a little more flour in this case – but please dose carefully! Otherwise, the matter will become too tight and will not push well through the spout.
It might also help to use a little less butter next time. It is not advisable to use cornstarch in shortbread cookies, as the dough can become tough.
Hard is not hearty!
Shortbread is a sensitive dough that needs to be treated with a lot of attention. You should also give the butter enough time to become creamy. Depending on the temperature of the butter, it can take up to 20 minutes until it has really foamed well for a spritz dough. Of course, the easiest way to do this is with a food processor, but if you do it with a hand mixer, you have earned the sweet delicacy with plenty of butter in the end!
If the dough is too firm and cannot be pushed through the spout, it could also be because too much flour was used or the flour was mixed in for too long. Mix the butter and sugar very thoroughly until fluffy, then stir in the remaining ingredients (e.g. cocoa or grated organic lemon zest) and only briefly mix in the sifted flour at the very end.
It depends on the right tool
If it doesn’t work well with the piping bag, using the meat grinder with the matching cookie attachment will help. High-quality meat grinders are made of cast iron, which means that firmer dough can also be pressed through. In Spain, people like to eat “churros” with coffee, a shortbread baked in plenty of oil. In addition, you get your own churros presses, sometimes even made of sturdy metal.
