Royal Rum Walnut Shortbread
This is a cookie that I developed based on a recipe that I found in my Mother’s 1950s Vintage recipe box (which sat next to her hand nut grinder on her kitchen cook book shelf ) for Russian Tea Cakes. Read the story behind the nuts.
1 c. (8oz) butter at room temperature (European Style)
1/2 c. powdered sugar – measure, then sift (e.g., CandH, Dominos)
2 tsps dark rum (e.g., , Myer’s Dark Rum)
1 ½ c. cake flour – 1st measure, then sift (e.g., Swans Down)
½ tsp coarse salt (e.g., Morton’s)
4 oz finely chopped, toasted (i.e., 350F for 5 minutes) and cooled walnuts*
~ ½ c. Turbinado sugar (e.g., India Tree, Incauca)
~ 20 walnut halves or quarters
In the bowl of a Kitchen Aid Mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with powdered sugar on medium speed until pale. Beat in the dark rum until completely incorporated. Then reduce the speed to low and blend in cake flour and coarse salt – and then the finely chopped and toasted walnuts. Refrigerate dough until firm enough to measure.
Use a cookie scoop and scale to measure 1 oz portions of dough. Roll the dough into balls, coat with the Turbinado sugar and place on parchment lined cookie sheets – one dozen per sheet. Use a decorative cookie stamp dipped in Turbinado sugar to flatten each dough ball to ¼” thickness. Press a decorative Walnut half or quarter onto the surface of each cookie. Refrigerate until firm.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove cookies from refrigerator and bake until edges are golden, 14-17 minutes. Cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
I choose to package in boxes lined with Royal Blue colored cellophane (# 8-9 per pint take-out box).
Yield: #19-20 1 oz cookies
*Pecans can be substituted for walnuts
Caribbean Coconut Shortbread
This is cookie evolved from my recipe above for Royal Rum Walnut Shortbread given how prevalent coconuts are on these Islands. Interestingly, I discovered that one of its primary ingredients – shredded unsweetened coconut – is (surprisingly) not produced on the Islands. However, it is readily available in the Island’s major grocery stores and is more affordable than other “nuts”.
1 c. (80z) butter at room temperature (European Style)
1/2 c. powdered sugar – measure, then sift (e.g., CandH, Dominos)
1 dram = 0.125 fl oz ~ ¾ tsp coconut extract (LorAnn)*
1 ½ c. cake flour – 1st measure, then sift (e.g., Swans Down)
½ tsp coarse salt (e.g., Morton’s)
2.5oz toasted (i.e., 350F for 5 minutes) and cooled fine shredded unsweetened coconut (e.g., Bob’s Red Mill, Let’s Do Organic)**
~ ½ c. Turbinado sugar (e.g., India Tree, Incauca) ***
In the bowl of a Kitchen Aid Mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with powdered sugar on medium speed until pale. Beat in the coconut extract (or dark rum) until completely incorporated. Then reduce the speed to low and blend in cake flour and coarse salt – and then the fine shredded and toasted dried coconut. Refrigerate dough until firm enough to measure.
Use a cookie scoop and scale to measure 1 oz portions of dough. Roll the dough into balls, coat with the Turbinado sugar and place on parchment lined cookie sheets – one dozen per sheet. Use a decorative cookie stamp dipped in Turbinado sugar to flatten each dough ball to ¼” thickness. Refrigerate until firm.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove cookies from refrigerator and bake until edges are golden, 14-17 minutes. Cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Yield: #18 1 oz cookies
*2 tsp dark rum (e.g., Myer’s Dark Rum) can be substituted for coconut extract
** for a sweeter cookie, substitute an equal amount by weight of sweetened shredded coconut (e.g., Bakers) for the unsweetened coconut.
*** if you cannot find Turbinado sugar, consider substituting additional fine shredded sweetened coconut or unsweetened shredded coconut.
One comment