7 March 2023
For the entree, most people have decided on corned beef and cabbage, a nice potato soup, or a shepherd’s pie. So, we are presenting a basic shortbread cookie and three variations of it as well as an Irish tea cake to satisfy the sweet teeth out there.
Shortbread Squares
Shortbread Dough
Ingredients:
- cup unsalted butter (3 sticks), at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.
- Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour and salt, mixing until just incorporated.
- Press or spread mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Red Currant Crumble
Ingredients:
- 1 cup red currant jam
- 2 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Directions:
- Prepare Shortbread Dough, but transfer 3/4 cup of the dough to a piece of plastic wrap, roll into log and freeze until firm, 30 minutes.
- Spread remaining dough into pan and bake 12 minutes; let cool.
- In bowl, combine jam with orange liqueur and orange zest and spread over dough. Using box grater, coarsely grate frozen dough over top.
- Bake until topping is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool, then cut into pieces.
Chocolate-Peppermint
Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 5 1/2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
- Using electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until smooth. On low, gradually add confectioners’ sugar until fully incorporated.
- Add heavy cream and peppermint extract and beat 2 minutes. Spread over baked and cooled shortbread and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
- In medium bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter (cut into pieces) in microwave on 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth.
- Spread onto peppermint layer and refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes. Cut into pieces.
Toffee-Pecan
Ingredients:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 cup toasted pecans, very roughly chopped
- flaky sea salt
Directions:
- In heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat on medium (do not stir), swirling pan occasionally, until sugar has dissolved.
- Increase heat and boil until sugar is deep caramel color (do not stir). Immediately remove from heat and stir in heavy cream until it bubbles up, then fold in toasted pecans.
- Pour mixture over cooled shortbread and sprinkle with flaky salt. Let cool completely, then cut into pieces.
Irish Tea Cake
Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round pan.
- In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated; stir in vanilla.
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. If the batter is too stiff, add a tablespoon or two of milk. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack, then turn out onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.
