Stamped Cookies #32 - Orange Shortbread Cookies from Glenda Embree

Stamped Cookies #32 Orange Shortbread Cookies - made dough September 10, 2023 from Glenda Embree

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cornstarch

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, powdered sugar and orange zest until combined, 2-3 minutes.
2. Add flour and cornstarch, mixing to combine. Dough will be a little dry.
3. Portion into golf-ball size dough balls and roll into smooth balls, using the warmth of your hands to keep dough together and smooth.
4. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and evenly press cookie stamp on each ball. Cut with round cookie cutter if desired for a smooth round. Cover and chill for 30-45 minutes.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and evenly space cookies. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are slightly golden and middles no longer look raw. Remove from oven and let rest on baking sheets for several minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

I'm on a roll with stamped cookie recipes. I've been meaning to try this one for awhile but kept forgetting to get an orange when I went grocery shopping. But I finally managed it.

I love this particular set of stamps from Nordic Ware and use it every time I make a citrus-flavored stamped cookie because it's perfect for lemon and orange shortbread cookies.

I only made a half recipe of this as I didn't want to invest that much butter (original recipe called for 2 cups) unless I know how successfully a recipe is going to turn out. The main thing that gave me pause on this one is how much cornstarch there is relative to flour and the other ingredients. Past experience says that while cornstarch contributes to a more tender texture of a cookie, too much can also contribute to a drier mouthfeel and a more bland flavor.

First, the positives: you can see from the pictures that this recipe holds the stamped impressions beautifully and that's exactly what I look for in a stamped cookie recipe. Otherwise, what's the point of stamping your cookies? The dough handled perfectly and was easy to work with. You don't have to chill this for very long to get it easy to work with.

Second, the less positive? As I was afraid of, this does have a slightly drier mouthfeel and it's not very buttery. The amount of cornstarch and flour makes this a more hardy cookie rather than a delicate buttery one. This is more for people who like a drier snap or crisp to their shortbread rather than the buttery goodness of Walker-like shortbread. It was still good but if I hadn't stamped these cookies, I would've probably liked them better if they were lightly glazed with a simple glaze of powdered sugar whisked with orange juice. Still, it's hard to beat how faithfully the stamped impressions held.