Star cookies, foreground, were among the stars of the writer’s holiday dessert table last year (and every year). Karen Schneider photo
When I think of what has gone on in Maine kitchens for generations, simplicity and economy come to mind, along with the custom of passing down family recipes, and of friends who willingly share their favorites.
This shortbread cookie recipe that a dear friend penned on a paper scrap years ago is a perfect representation of basic Maine baking. “Little Stars” are plain, economical, and can be made with only six ingredients that you most likely have on hand in your kitchen right this very moment.
Straightforward and easy, they are perfect as is, but some of us can’t leave well enough alone. If you want to dress these sweet stars up for the holidays, add a discreet dusting of confectioners’ sugar, colored sprinkles, a skim of icing or jam, or a dip in a bath of chocolate ganache.
These small bites can even be pressed into service to embellish a chocolate cream pie or provide an accompaniment to individual servings of mousse or creme brulee.
Because of the delightfully flaky snap these buttery cookies supply when you pop one into your mouth, I think of them as the potato chip of my cookie kingdom, and that my friends, makes them truly addictive.
Other cookies have come and gone in my holiday baking repertoire, yet these remain. I really can’t imagine Christmastime without them. I share this recipe with you in hopes that you will try them out for your hot cocoa or tea-dipping on a starry Maine winter night.
HOLIDAY SHORTBREAD STARS
Yield: 3 dozen (2 1/2-inch) cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of salt
2 cups flour
1/2-2 teaspoons flavoring and/or food coloring of your choice
Flavoring ideas include:
☆ Extracts (almond, lemon, orange, mint, coffee . . .)
☆ Fresh lemon or orange rind and juice
☆ Liqueurs (Amaretto, Grand Marnier, Kahlua)
Method:
Cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and flavoring/food coloring together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add salt and flour and beat until combined. Adjust flavoring and flour amounts if needed. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight.
When ready to work with the dough, allow it to rest on the counter until it’s a workable consistency (similar to Play-Doh).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a flour-dipped 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are just beginning to brown on the edges.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on racks. Store in a cookie tin or glassware. Both the cookies and the dough freeze very well.
Want to make your stars fancier?
☆ Sprinkle tinted sugar on stars before baking, pressing the sugar into the dough gently with your fingers. (To tint your own sugar, simply pour a small amount of granulated sugar or larger-grained decorators’ sugar into a small jar. Add a few drops of food coloring, close, and shake.)
☆ Spread with a glaze of white or colored icing. (Mix 1 cup confectioners’ sugar with 1 tablespoon light corn syrup, 2 tablespoons water, and desired coloring until smooth. This will dry quickly for a hard, shiny finish.)
☆ Sandwich the stars together in pairs with a whisper of jam, just enough to make the stars stick together. Any red jam, such as strawberry or raspberry, is a festive touch and pairs well with cookies flavored with almond or lemon extract. Another delightful pairing with lemon-flavored stars is a light swipe of blueberry jam — the epitome for making the cookies more “Maine-y”.
☆ Dip the stars in chocolate ganache. (Use 1:1 ratio of heavy cream and Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate bars, finely chopped. Place chocolate in a heat-proof glass bowl. Heat cream in a saucepan until just simmering. Immediately pour the warm cream over the chocolate and allow to sit for a few minutes before stirring until smooth.)
Writer and editor Karen Schneider has been a regular contributor to the Lewiston Sun Journal for over 23 years. Contact her at iwrite33@comcast.net with your ideas and comments.
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