Coffee and tea can be considered, for all practical purposes my favorite drinks, morning, noon and night. Whether it’s a day off, an early morning at the restaurant or an afternoon out and about in Dubai or whatever city I find myself in I will, with determination and conviction, search for the finest cup of coffee and tea around.
As locations change and cultures blend, so does the style of coffee/tea and its accompaniments. Turkish coffee with halva or Turkish delights, espresso with biscotti, Café Du Monde coffee with beignets, high tea with what constitutes a mid-afternoon meal. For the most part I am there for the coffee/tea, but I find myself focusing more and more on what the accompaniment are, as one cannot live on a caffeinated beverage alone.
At the restaurant we have a fine espresso machine and we have been tinkering with different cookie recipes that come with every cup or coffee and tea. The coffee is locally roasted, insuring the freshest and best tasting product available and we believe that the accompaniment should be no different.
One of my favorite cookies that we serve (on occasion) is a jam filled Strassburger/shortbread/butter cookie. These cookies, delicate, slightly sweet and paired with a cup of coffee, tea or just enjoyed by the handful make a great little snack and are pretty easy to make. Already sold on making these at home? Then try this quick and easy recipe for Strassburger/shortbread/butter cookies.All you will need is a sturdy piping bag, a star tip or other type of decorative pastry tip, a silpat or another nonstick baking mat/sheet and go for it!
* – Remember to pick a nice, thick jam (or make your own), strain and reduce it a bit more to make sure you have a thick enough filling so it will not creep outside when you sandwich the cookies together. Raspberry jam is one of our favorites but do not let that limit you or your creativity.
| Butter Cookie Recipe – Shortbread Cookie | |
- 340 gr or .75# – Eicher butter, unsalted and at room temp
- 230 gr or 1/2# – confectioners/icing/powered sugar
- 3 – eggs, whole and organic
- 1 – egg yolks, organic
- 1 ea – vanilla pods, seeds scraped
- 560 gr or 1.25# – cake flour, sifted
- Oven to 190 c or 375 f.
- Beat butter and sugar together on a stand mixed with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, around 5 minutes.
- Slowly add in the eggs and yolks until incorporated.
- Add vanilla, followed by the flour, in small amounts until all is incorporated.
- Pipe onto a silpat with a #6 star tip or you favorite decorating tip.
- Bake 12 minutes, or until done.
- Remember to not let these little guys brown too much, but some slight coloration is OK.
- Remove from the oven, cool and dust with the confectioners/icing/powered sugar before serving.
Now brew some great coffee/tea, place these cookies out and about and invite your friends over for an afternoon break from the rat race or whatever race you find yourself in.
Cheers…chefRob
Very nice article. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing, very interesting.