Bake shortbread 12 minutes. Reverse baking sheets. Bake until shortbread looks dry and feels firm to touch, about 12 minutes longer. Cool on sheets 5 minutes. Cut warm shortbread into wedges along marked lines. Cool completely on sheets on racks. Transfer wedges to work surface.
Place white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Place bittersweet chocolate in another bowl set over same simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth.
Fit 2 pastry bags with ⅛-inch plain tips; spoon white chocolate into 1 and bittersweet chocolate into other. Or spoon chocolate into 2 small plastic bags (cut off 1 tip from each bag). Pipe chocolates decoratively over cookies. Let stand at room temperature until chocolate sets, about 1 hour.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container in single layers between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.
This dough is baked into one giant shortbread-style cookie, which is then topped with coarsely crushed peppermint candies and drizzled with melted white chocolate. Once the chocolate is set, the cookie gets broken into irregular pieces that look spectacular when arranged upright at angles in a basket or bowl. Makes about 24 pieces
1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped into ⅓-inch pieces, divided
¾ cup coarsely crushed red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies (about 6 ounces), divided
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line heavy rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Whisk melted butter, both sugars, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Stir in flour mixture until just blended. Stir in 1 cup chopped white chocolate and ½ cup crushed peppermint candy.
Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet. Press dough into 14×8-inch rectangle, about ⅜ inch thick. Bake cookie until top is firm and dark golden, about 30 minutes. Cool on sheet 10 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.
Stir remaining white chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Using small spoon, drizzle about half of melted chocolate in thin lines over cooled cookie. Sprinkle remaining crushed peppermint candies over chocolate. Drizzle remaining white chocolate over top. Let stand until white chocolate sets, about 1 hour. Break cookie into irregular 2- to 3-inch pieces.
DO AHEAD: Cookie brittle can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.Ingredient Tip: Peppermint CandyRound red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies are called for in this recipe, but candy canes would be a great substitute. Place the candies in a resealable plastic freezer bag, then crush them gently with a mallet or rolling pin.
The nice thing about these simple, irresistible cookies is that you can have them anytime you’ve got a craving—the recipe makes a lot of dough, so you can freeze any extra that you don’t use. For impromptu entertaining, slice the still-frozen dough into rounds and pop them in the oven for a quick dessert. Serve with a cup of hot chai tea. Makes about 12 dozen
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1¾ cups sliced or blanched slivered almonds
Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda into medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in both sugars. Add egg and egg yolk; beat to blend. Beat in vanilla and salt. Add flour mixture and beat until dough comes together in moist clumps. Add almonds and knead gently in bowl with hands until blended.
Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each into 10-inch-long log, about 1¼ to 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap dough in 2 layers of plastic and place in freezer until frozen, at least 4 hours.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 month ahead. Keep frozen.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Working with 1 log at a time, remove plastic and cut dough crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on heavy ungreased rimmed baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely.
DO AHEAD: Cookies can be made 4 days ahead. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.
These crisp, full-flavored wafers are a classic icebox-style cookie—meaning that they achieve their thinness by being formed into a log, chilled, and sliced before baking. Enjoy the cookies as a light, sophisticated finish to a dinner party. Makes about 4 dozen
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons non-hydrogenated stick margarine, room temperature
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1½ tablespoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg white
Sift flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda into small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and margarine in large bowl until creamy. Add both sugars, espresso powder, and vanilla and beat until blended. Mix in egg white. Add flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Using hands, knead dough briefly in bowl until smooth.
Form dough into 14-inch-long, 2-inch-diameter log. Wrap log in waxed paper and chill until cold, at least 1 hour.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Slice cookie log crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Place cookies on heavy large rimmed baking sheets. Bake cookies until cracked and almost firm to touch in center, reversing sheets from top to bottom oven racks after 7minutes, about 14 minutes total. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.
DO AHEAD: Cookies can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.
There’s a reason that Thin Mints are the best sellers of all Girl Scout cookies: The combination of a crisp chocolate-mint cookie topped with chocolate icing is irresistible. Now you can make your own any time of the year with this simple recipe. Note that the dough needs to chill for a couple of hours before you roll it out, so plan ahead. Dutch-process cocoa has been treated with an alkali to neutralize its natural acidity. It has a milder, more delicate flavor and a darker, richer color than regular cocoa. Makes about 3½ dozen