DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic and chill.
Using 1 tablespoon for each cookie, roll dough into balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown on bottom and just firm to touch, about 14 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to racks and cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes.
Place powdered sugar in brown paper bag. While still warm, drop 3 cookies into bag; close bag and shake gently to coat cookies with sugar. Transfer sugar-coated cookies to racks. Repeat with remaining cookies. Serve warm or at room temperature.
DO AHEAD: Can be made ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days, or freeze up to 1 week.
These soft, chewy cookies have a double dose of ginger: Ground ginger lays the flavor foundation, while crystallized ginger makes the cookies a little punchier and chewier. Makes about 2 dozen
2⅓ cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons non-hydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, room temperature
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1 large egg
½ cup chopped crystallized ginger
Additional sugar
Whisk flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cloves in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, shortening, butter, and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add molasses and egg and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Mix in crystallized ginger. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Spoon additional sugar in thick layer onto small plate. Using 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie, form dough into balls using hands, then roll in sugar to coat completely. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies until cracked on top but still soft to touch, about 14 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Carefully transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.
DO AHEAD: Cookies can be made 5 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.Ingredient Tip: ShorteningSolid vegetable shortening used to be loaded with trans fats because of all of the hydrogenated oils. Fortunately, companies have begun to make non-hydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, a much healthier alternative.
European butter adds extra flavor to the already incredible crumbly richness of this classic shortbread. For more information on European butter, see page 4. Swapping the baking sheets between the higher and lower racks halfway through baking allows the cookies to brown evenly. Makes about 3 dozen
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
¾ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted European-style butter, room temperature
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sift flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture in 3 additions, mixing until just blended each time. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Roll each half into 6-inch-long log; wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F.
Cut each log crosswise into ⅓-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices on 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets, spacing ½ inch apart (cookies will spread very little). Bake cookies 9 minutes. Switch baking sheets on racks and bake just until cookies turn golden brown at edges, about 9 minutes longer. Cool cookies on sheets 1 minute. Using thin metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks and cool.
DO AHEAD: Cookies can be made 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
This tender shortbread is made the traditional way: as one large cookie that’s cut into wedges after baking. It’s important to cut the shortbread into wedges while it’s still warm; cooled shortbread is crisp and will break into pieces. Makes 8
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
¼ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
¾ teaspoon vanilla extractPinch of salt
¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place 9-inch-diameter metal pie pan in freezer to chill. Combine butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in processor. Blend until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add flour and cornstarch. Using on/off turns, process until dough clumps together. Press dough evenly onto bottom of chilled pie pan. Sprinkle almonds over and press lightly into dough to adhere. Freeze until chilled, about 5 minutes.
Bake shortbread until edges are golden brown, about 22 minutes. Cut warm shortbread (still in pan) into 8 wedges. Transfer pan to rack and cool shortbread completely in pan.
DO AHEAD: Cookies can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Brown butter (often called beurre noisette, or hazelnut butter, for its color) is unsalted butter that has been cooked for a few minutes over medium heat, just until the milk solids at the bottom of the pan turn golden brown. It lends a wonderfully complex, nutty flavor to this tender shortbread cookie. Makes 32
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1 cup pecans, toasted
2 cups sifted unbleached all purpose flour (sifted, then measured)
¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt ½ cup butter in small skillet over medium heat. Cook until deep amber, stirring often, about 6 minutes (do not burn). Pour through fine strainer into small bowl. Chill just until firm, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, grind pecans in processor until coarse meal forms.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Whisk flour and coarse salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat brown butter, remaining ½ cup butter, and sugar in large bowl until creamy. Beat in vanilla, then pecans. Gradually beat in flour mixture just to blend.
Transfer dough to sheet of parchment paper. Form dough into rectangle. Place second sheet of parchment paper over dough. Press or roll dough into 12×8-inch rectangle. Remove top sheet of parchment. Transfer dough on parchment to heavy baking sheet. Using fork, pierce dough all over, spacing 1 inch apart.