Traditional shortbread pastry with filling
Shortbread is a popular dish with a long history. In our latitudes, a more common recipe is shortbread cookies with jam. You've probably tried this dish. Sometimes these "cookies" are filled with fondant or buttercream.
The undeniable advantage is that glazed rings or standard shortbread cookies with jam have a very long shelf life and don't need to be refrigerated. The recipe below is a unique compromise between European and Russian traditions. The dessert pictured is our dish for today.
Our classics
To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
For the dough:
- 100 grams of butter;
- 0.25 cups of sugar;
- 1 cup of wheat flour;
- 0.5 teaspoon baking powder;
- 1 egg yolk;
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla sugar.
- Filling:
- 3 tablespoons of jam;
- 3 tablespoons of jam syrup.
Creamy lipstick base:
- 100 grams of sugar;
- 1 tablespoon of water;
- 1 tablespoon butter;
- 1 tablespoon of condensed milk.
The recipe is quite simple. The end result will be a ring or squares (the shape you choose is up to you) filled with jam and buttercream frosting. If you do everything right, your dish will look even more appetizing than in the photo.
First, cream the sugar and butter together and add the egg yolk, flour, and baking powder to the mixture. To ensure the dough cooks evenly and the ring (or rectangles) look smooth and uniform, stir in the ingredients gradually. It's best to refrigerate the dough for thirty minutes.
Next, grease a baking sheet and line it with well-oiled parchment paper. Form a large hollow ring (or even rectangle) on the parchment paper, approximately 3-5 millimeters thick. If you want to make smaller cookies, you can carefully cut them out with cookie cutters. It's important to make an even number of cookies.
The cake layer bakes for about 15 minutes. It should be lightly browned, but not dry out. While the ring/rectangle is still warm, carefully cut the cake layer in half lengthwise. Spread jam on one half and cover with the other.
You need to be very careful, as the dough is fragile. The surface is brushed with syrup. This is to ensure the lipstick adheres better and looks more aesthetically pleasing.
If you want something sweeter
The recipe for milk-sugar fudge is very simple. First, mix sugar with a tablespoon of water and heat until it browns and caramelizes. The consistency should be similar to the photo.
Don't let it brown because this recipe calls for a milk-based fondant, not a crème brûlée. Once the sugar has dissolved completely, add a tablespoon of butter and milk to the mixture, then remove it from the heat. Return the mixture to the stove and heat for a few minutes.
Once the sugar has dissolved sufficiently, spread the resulting medium-thick mixture evenly over the top layer. In the photo, we see the mixture already set; it will need to rest for about forty minutes. If you want to make it with a crust, refrigerating it is ideal.
The resulting dessert must be cut very carefully, avoiding small pieces, as the dish will crumble easily. The photos usually clearly show that the pieces are quite large. It's best to make eight cakes from one rectangular pan.
You can decorate the dessert with chocolate pieces, berries, fruits and nuts.
