Rolled out usually are a little damper, whereas the thick kind of shortbread is sandier, but no, you don't have to dock them in any way. Just roll and cut. Use plenty of flour on your cutters.

The docking (pricking) is sometimes done to help steam escape and prevent the dough from forming "bubbles." It's also sometimes done just for appearance sake. In your case, no, I would not dock them. I've never docked my shortbread cookies. For the most part, the only time I dock the dough is when I use it for tart crusts. You might also dock it if you're pressing the dough into a pan to make it easier to cut later into wedges, squares, etc. You make the docks where you'll be cutting the baked dough.

I make Shortbread cookies all the time. Sometime I dock them and other times I forget, but they come out the same. I heard on the Great British Baking show that docking thicker cookies lets the steam escape and you get a more solid cookie.

I appreciate it!! These will be for taking to the Thanksgiving weekend with the relatives so I wanted to make sure I didn't do - or not do - something to make them not be so good!

^Agree with plllog. If it's any help, you can make them now to park in the freezer.

plllog, here's my basic shortbread recipe: 2 cups butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 4 - 4-1/2 cups flour and a pinch of salt. For the cutouts I am planning on adding 2 tsp lemon extract and some grated lemon peel. Will that make the dough damp enough to roll, do you think? I've only made this recipe a couple of times and then only traditionally. I didn't think about rolling it needing anything else. Thank you so very much for the other hints also. I do have a couple of aluminum cookie sheets so will only use those.

Edie

The classic recipe is 4 c. white AP flour, 1 lb. standard butter (82% fat) (salted) or baking sticks (100 Cal. per tbsp), 1 c. granulated white sugar.

I've never heard of using brown sugar. It bakes a little wetter than white, so I'm guessing that that's why the extra half cup of flour, but it sounds like a lot. I don't know how the alcohol of the extract will affect it, whether it'll be damper or evaporate as you roll, but I doubt it'll be that different once baked. It's pretty forgiving on the baking. The biggest difference is in the handling, and if you're confident with rolling out cookies, you'll be fine. I might suggest holding back a third of a cup of flour from the mixing and roll it in while you're working the dough. That way you can feel if it's getting too dry. You'll need lots of flour on your work surface (use a board or pastry cloth, not slick stone or silpat, so the dough doesn't suction stick and get scrambled). Also on your rolling pin (wood or textured is best, or use a "sock"), and flour your cutters. If they're very clean, try pushing them through a scrap of dough a few times, flouring between, until some flour sticks.

Have a butter knife or bamboo skewer ready to help define the cuts and clean the crevices of the cutters. If you're having trough lifting the cookies, clear the dough from around the outside first, then slide a well floured pancake turner underneath.

Most of all, have fun!

Thanks so much! Am making them tomorrow to freeze un

Well don't know what happened! Any way I will freeze them until the Tuesday before Thanksgivibg, frost them then put them in a container since we're leaving early Wed morning. Thank you again for all your help, I do appreciate it very much.

Edie, one suggestion would be to skip the lemon extract and just use the zest. I say that only because I'm not a big fan of lemon extract...your choice. As plllog said, the extract shouldn't make a difference with the baked cookies. I do add a bit of vanilla extract to my regular shortbread dough. Just a taste preference.

The mention of brown sugar made me think of this recipe. The cookies are really tasty, buttery gems and do bake up fine, BUT the dough is very crumbly. I've always formed the dough into the logs, but it's kind of a PITA to slice them. I think it might work better to just press it into a pan, then maybe cut into shapes while the dough's still warm. Anyway, if you ever feel the urge...and like pecans.

Browned Butter-Pecan Shortbread

1 1/2 cups salted butter

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I used light brown)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla (not included in original recipe)

3 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups chopped toasted pecans (I used a little less...generous cup)

1. Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat immediately, and pour butter into a small bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify.

2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar and powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Gradually add flour/salt to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in pecans.

3. Shape dough into 4 (8-inch) logs. Wrap logs tightly in plastic wrap, and chill 4 hours or until firm.

4. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; place on lightly greased baking sheets.

5. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Chloebud, thanks for the recipe! My father loved that kind of cookie.

plllog, your post made me smile. My dad would have loved them, too. :-) He was such a shortbread fan.

Chloebud, thank you sharing the recipe. I love pecans! When I'm not so pressed for time I am definitely making them.

I'm going to make the browned butter pecan shortbread later his week. Sounds delicious!

I have a question. Years ago the principal of my school made wonderful chocolate shortbread cookies. She said it was the same shortbread recipe she used for the base of her lemon bars, but that she simply added more powdered sugar and Dutch cocoa to the recipe. Do any of you have a recipe for chocolate shortbread cookies? I'm thinking I might just add a cup of cocoa and see what happens.

sheesh and edie, they are yummy. Just pay attention to my comment about the dough.

sheesh, though I haven't tried this chocolate shortbread recipe from Maria Sinskey, she's usually a good source. My preference would be to use salted butter and reduce the salt to maybe 1/8 tsp. or generous pinch.

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chocolate-shortbread-cookies

FWIW, this is my standard shortbread recipe with salted butter and pinch of salt. The addition of the cornstarch and powdered sugar produces a tender texture. It's also a bit more "sandy" that's traditional with shortbread. I use granulated sugar (and no cornstarch) when making shortbread for tart crusts since it's a little sturdier.

Shortbread

2 cups flour

2 T. cornstarch

Pinch salt

1/2 cup plus 2 T. powdered sugar

2 sticks salted butter, room temp.

1/2 tsp. vanilla

First, remove 2 T. from the 2 cups of flour and replace with the 2 T. cornstarch. Mix salt with flour/cornstarch. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Form into ball and wrap in plastic. Chill for about 30 minutes to an hour. Preheat oven to 325. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake about 20 to 25 minutes. Watch carefully, you want them to just barely get color (depending on your oven, you may need a little less or more time). Remove from oven, sprinkle with fine or granulated sugar (optional, let sit for about 10 minutes, and remove to rack to cool.

This is not traditional, but it’s my favourite. I usually pipe it into rosettes, about 1 1/2 inches across and decorate with an halved maraschino cherry. My daughter is very fond of them half dipped In melted chocolate

Whipped Shortbread

Whipped Shortbread

Print

Ingredients

1. 1 cup butter (do not use margarine)
2. 1/2 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
3. 1 1/2 cups flour

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and beat for 10 minutes. Drop from small spoon onto cookie sheet. Decorate with maraschino cherry pieces if you wish. Bake at 350 F. for about 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned. makes about 3 dozen small cookies.

Notes

1. This recipe doubles well

Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines.

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Well, we have shortbread! I actually ended up splitting the dough in half. I made half into the traditional thicker rectangles, but added finely chopped walnuts and maple flavoring. I rolled the other half out much thinner - and thanks to plllog for forewarning me, I rolled the dough between 2 well-floured sheets of parchment paper. Also I decided to not put as much lemon extract in. I used a teaspoon of vanilla and the same of lemon extract + the grated rind. I will juice the lemon for the frosting. That way the lemon isn't so overpowering. Thanks, Chloebud! Thank you all very much for the help!

Thanks, Louiseab Ibbotson! Those sound good too. I always liked the ones that were swirled with a cherry on top that came in the assortment tins!

Great job, Edie! How do they taste? :-)

The Maple Walnuts are rich! The Lemon Cutouts are very light but once I make a lemon frosting they will have a bit more flavor, and I didn't want it to be overwhelming anyway. I am putting these all in the freezer in a little while and will take them out Monday of Thanksgiving week, along with the sugar cookie cutouts already in the freezer and let them thaw before frosting to be packed up Tuesday night. I also have Molasses Cookies in the freezer, and am going to make another dual-batch of chocolate cookies next weekend. Half will be Turtle (thumbprint, filled with caramel and topped with a pecan half and drizzled with ganache) and the other half will just have peanut butter chips added. Hopefully that will be enough of a variety that everyone will like something!

Wow...sounds like you'll be one very popular lady!

I love cookies, and I cant.wait.to start making some of these later this week. We've had two birthdays the last three days, so we have lots of cakes.and half a pie to eat.before I start on the cookies. Yum!

I have 2 stainless cookie sheets that I like to use for shortbread. I get annoyed when my husband uses them to heat up chicken wings or other fried appetizers as they tend to stain the sheet. It’s really hard to get them back to a shine after that.

You might try the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda trick. Spray lightly with the H2O2, sprinkle liberally with baking soda until it's well covered, lightly spray again to make sure the soda is dampened. Leave in the sun for at least an hour or in an oven on low. Scrub lightly, and do again if necessary. This gets the impossible to remove stains off of oven racks, so should work for your cookie sheets.

I have to try the maple walnut ones! I accidentally got two bags of walnuts and am trying to use one bag up. I have been wondering what do make with walnuts . . . And as luck would have it I have maple flavoring. Edie did you use the recipe with the brown sugar for those?

lpinkmountain, yes I did. I found this recipe via Facebook! Here is the full original recipe:

Oven at 325°

2 cups butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 - 4-1/2 cups A. P. Flour

Pinch salt

Cream butter, sugar & salt until fluffy. Add 3-3/4 cups flour, mix well. Turn out on floured surface, knead 5 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form soft dough (I always end up using all 4-1/2 cups.) Roll 1/2" thick, cut into 3" X 1" strips, prick with fork. Place strips about 1/2" apart on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets and bake until lightly browned, 20 - 25 minutes. Let sit on cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before removing to cooling racks.

To make the maple walnut I added about 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract + 1 teaspoon maple extract and probably about 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to 1/2 of the dough when I started kneading. If you are going to make one full batch you can double the extracts & walnuts and add to the mixing bowl after adding the first round of flour and mix well. I have also found that the easiest way to cut the strips is with a pizza cutter. For some reason adding the nuts makes these a little more prone to breaking so be careful when removing to cooling racks. Enjoy!

Ediej, this recipe calls for kneading. How different does kneading make the cookies?

Sheesh, the dough is very thick and stiff so I think it's kneaded just to be sure everything is well-blended without overstraining the mixer. I presume if you have a mixer with a dough hook you can do it that way. I do have one but I enjoy the feel under my hands.

Thank you, Edie.

Thank you so much Edie! I can't wait to try these. May be a while though. I have a bunch of early holiday stuff for home and work, but then off work later in Dec. so can do some baking then.

lpinkmountain, I know they say to not eat raw dough, but I do take a pinch after I put the extracts in to see if it needs more since I'm playing around with the recipe. So you might want to check to see if that's "maple-y" enough for you.

has anyone ever tried mixing/adding our sweet pickled mustard seed to the shortbread cookie recipe?

Well, I sure haven't, Dave, but it sounds interesting...