Culinary Alchemy: Smitten with Mittens

For shortbread #1 I figured I would share a recipe that my mom figured out. She use to purchase these delicious "Lemon" shortbreads made by McTavish. She was in love with them. Sadly, the store she was purchasing them from decided not to carry them anymore. So mom went to work in the kitchen trying to duplicate the recipe herself.

After several failed attempts, she nailed it. Right down to the Lemon oil in the white chocolate. When I tried them for the first time (this was my first flavored shortbread) I was totally hooked. Thus they have become a Christmas staple.

This year I decided to make use a Mitten cookie cutter instead of making a log and slicing off cookies like I normally do. After dipping them in White Chocolate, they look like snow covered mittens. I realized, a little too late, that I should have flipped some of them over before baking, cause they all ended up as left hand mittens.... ;) Yeah I know it's not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it kinda bugs me a little bit.. LOL

Mom's MocTavish Lemon Drop Shortbread

8 oz Cultured Butter (yep, this is important)
3/4 cup (5 oz) Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 cups (11 oz) AP Flour
1.5 oz Lemon Drops, crushed (about 8 candies)
4 oz White Chocolate
1/8 tsp Lemon oil

First off you need to get medeaval on the Lemon Drops; place them in a zip lock bag.

Then pulverize them with the flat side of a meat mallet.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Next, cream the Butter, Sugar and Salt together in the bowl of your mixer.

Add Vanilla Extract and beat a little longer.

Slowly add the AP Flour with the mixer on low speed to avoid any sudden dust clouds.

Once the flour has been incorporated and you have a stiff dough, add the crushed Lemon Drops.

Immediately place the ball of dough on a well floured surface.

Roll to 1/4 inch thickness.

Cut out shapes.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet (this is important, cause the melty candy will stick to the baking sheet if you don't)

Bake for 15 minutes, then let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the sheet before moving them to a cooling rack.

Once all the cookies are cooled, grab the White Chocolate. (I am using "coverture" chocolate with a slightly higher cocoa butter content than normal white chocolate)