Stamped Cookies #17 - Embossed Shortbread Cookies

Stamped Cookies #17: Embossed Shortbread Cookies - made dough December 22, 2021, modified from Food Folks and Fun

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and powdered sugar until well combined and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract; beat until combined.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add in two additions to butter mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined and dough forms. 
3. Divide dough in half and flatten each half into thick discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 15-30 minutes.
4. Tear off a large piece of parchment and lightly flour. Tear another large piece of parchment. Unwrap chilled dough disc (work with one at a time, leaving the second in the fridge while you work on the first), place in the middle of the flour-coated piece of parchment and cover with second piece of parchment. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to an even 1/3" thickness between the two pieces of parchment. Use flour sparingly to prevent sticking.
5. Remove top piece of parchment. Lightly flour embossed rolling pin and run evenly over dough. Cut embossed dough into desired shapes. Use the scraps of remaining dough to roll into golf-ball-size dough balls, roll each ball into granulated sugar and press with cookie stamps. 
6. Repeat with second half of dough. Cover and chill or freeze embossed, stamped and cut out cookies for several hours or overnight.
7. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Evenly space cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest on baking sheets for several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

This is going to be a picture-heavy post as I wanted to showcase each cookie stamp separately, both before baking and after baking then show side-by-side comparisons. That's more for my documentation purposes, not only of how the recipe did in keeping the stamped impressions once baked but also to document what cookie stamps I already have, lest I forget and buy duplicates. It's been known to happen. #nolie 

This will give you an inkling that my collection is, er, somewhat growing. In my (slight) defense, the snowflake set from Nordic Ware (the ones pictured above - I'm not affiliated with Nordic Ware and don't get anything if you click on the link) were a gift from my niece. I finally had an answer when she asked me what I wanted for Christmas (yes!). Uh, cookie stamps? LOL

Stamp is Eva's Lace from Kitchen Vixen on Etsy

Then I wanted to use this stamp above, Eva's Lace from Kitchen Vixen, as it has more intricate detail and would be a litmus test on how well a recipe will hold more detailed stamped impressions.

This "homemade" one is my first silicone stamp. Trial and error showed I need to press harder and more evenly when using the silicone stamps.

The sharp-eyed bakers among you will notice I didn't bake these throughout. The giveaway is the middle of the cookie is darker which signals less-baked dough. That was partly on purpose and partly because I baked these only as long as the recipe suggested, rather than going by my visual check of the cookies while they were in the oven.

The on-purpose part is because I don't like dry shortbread and this type of cookie is easy to overbake. Plus, I was sending most of these out in military care packages which can have a 3-to 4-week mailing time. Slightly underbaked cookies will fare better en route as they're less fragile, heavier and more dense in texture and lose less moisture. Or so my experiments have shown when I've played around with my vacuum sealer and left cookies (vacuum sealed) to sit and taste tested them several weeks later to mimic how they might arrive.

In addition to cookie stamps and embossed rolling pins, I've also been getting obsessed interested in wooden cookie molds. With the right dough, they can also make pretty designs. I only fill the taste test cookie and send the rest without a filling in the center. Too much risk of mold, even when vacuum sealed, from the moistness of the filling.

In this taste test cookie. I filled it with cookie butter, which probably would've done okay in long mailing times but I didn't want to take that risk.

In any case, before I forget, since I've been so focused on the stamps and cookie molds, let me say this recipe worked pretty well. The side by side comparisons are below. It was also pretty tasty. Always use fresh butter when making any kind of shortbread or butter cookie. It matters.

To give your impressions the best chance of making it through the oven in decent shape, freeze your stamped, unbaked cookies first and bake directly from frozen dough at a slightly higher temp than the recipe calls for. Most recipes call for baking at 350. I bake at 375. I typically don't go all the way to 400 though as the cookies can burn easily before you know it.