Christmas & Corgis: Vanilla Bean & Citrus Shortbread

Hey All,
 
So this weekend I hosted my annual holiday brunch and with that all encompassing event there was no time to really blog because I was cooking food for forty people all weekend.

So yeah...

Instead, I leave you with this happy holiday wish. Jack the Corgi, Brian, and I put together the most awesome Christmas card ever. So awesome that you'll squee so high-pitched your computer screen will crack from the sonic force of it.

Given, it was a nightmare trying to get that one shot due to the fact that Jack can't sit still for more than a god damn nanosecond. It ended up with me holding a piece of bacon and lowering it past the horizon of the table where his gaze would follow. Once it passed the horizon it created the illusion that he was lusting after cookies and then I could take the shot. It's strange, though, as he had no interest in the cookies. I thought he would be all over them, but no, he just couldn't care less.

A dog that doesn't like cookies. What the hell kind of fur-child am I raising?

Either way, we have a pretty bomb photo. Below is the recipe for the cookies, which we printed onto the back of the Christmas card that went out. They are fabulous. Feel free to use any citrus you want. I used yuzu because I grow them and therefore don't have to pay twenty bucks a pop for them. Lemon, orange, lime, citron, or whatever will work well, too.

Anywhose, Happy Holidays everyone.

XOXO,
  Garrett, Brian, Cid, Eat Beast, and Jack the Corgi

Vanilla Bean and Citrus Shortbread
Adapted from the New York Times Master Shortbread Recipe

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, seeded

2 tablespoons citrus zest

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
sanding, decorative, or granulated sugar for garnish

1. Use an electric mixer on low speed to combine the butter and sugar, about 30 seconds. Keeping the speed on low, beat in the egg yolk, zest, and vanilla; then the flour, cornstarch and salt, until the mixture barely holds together. Don’t overbeat.

2. To make shapes, form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and freeze or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is 1/4 inch thick. Cut into any shapes you like, then put the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. Chill for at least 1 hour. Alternatively, shape the dough into a round, triangular or rectangular log and refrigerate or freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes. Slice 1/4-inch cookies and put on the baking sheet.

3. Heat the oven to 275F. Bake the cookies until just firm but still quite tender and not at all brown, about 30 minutes. Cool for a minute on the sheet before using a spatula to transfer the cookies to a rack to finish cooling.