Shortbread Rings
From Gourmet Magazine, December 1999.
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...These unusual shortbread cookies feature the unusual flavors of orange flower and rose water, and pistachios. |
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon rose water [I use more]
- 1/2 teaspoon orange flower water [I use more]
- Shelled natural pistachios or blanched almonds (enough for 1 per cookie; about 1/4 cup)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300 F.
- Beat together flour, sugar, butter, shortening, cardamom, rose water, and orange-flower water in a bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until a smooth dough forms.
- Roll dough into walnut-size balls, then roll each ball into a 5-inch rope.
- Form each rope into a 2-inch circle, overlapping ends slightly.
- Press a nut into each cookie at overlap.
- Arrange cookies, 1 inch apart, on 2 ungreased baking sheets and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until dry to the touch but still white, 20 to 22 minutes total.
- Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.