Saturday, December 29, 2012

Baked Sunday Mornings- Classic Shortbread with Fleur de Sel



I enjoy taking a break in the late afternoon - some call it "tea time", some call it a "coffee break". Regardless of what you call it, I think it's essential to have something sweet beside that drink. Something not too heavy that will ruin your appetite for dinner; just a little "something" to get you through the rest of the day. These shortbread cookies are just the answer. I love the touch of fleur de sel sprinkled on top- again, that combination of sweet and salty will get you every time( or at least it gets me!)

I did some playing around with the photos , practicing all kinds of lighting and positions. I know the photo above probably goes against all the rules, with the shadows  etc. but I actually like it so here it is.
I recently bought a large "slice" of an olive tree while we were visiting the Druze village of Ussifiya in the north of Israel ( more on that trip in an upcoming post). The carpenter sanded it and cleaned it up for me, then oiled it to bring out the gorgeous grains.  I used it as my background and I love the effect it gives.


Making these was not difficult , but still a bit tricky. It is important to get the right texture and not overwork the dough. I think I still need to practice it a few times to get the correct feel. It broke apart somewhat during the rolling which probably was a result of the dough being too cold. Below are the first batch results- tried dipping them in chocolate, but wasn't happy with the way it looked or tasted to be honest. Some were rolled too thin, and over-baked.  The final batch came out the best. All the cookies were good, even the well done ones! I like this recipe because it lends itself to playing around with lots of flavors. Next time I'll try some vanilla and add a hint of orange flavor as well. 
You can find the recipe here on Baked Sunday Mornings.

11 comments:

  1. Looks good, Yael! I'm just getting ready to put mine in the oven. I would love to try vanilla & orange, too!

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  2. Shortbread looks good. And I really like your olive tree slab. It really makes your pictures pop. I agree about a tea break and the shortbread is an excellent partner with tea. I loved your shadows in the second pic. The length of the shadows are great.

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  3. I like the long shadows - it speaks of afternoons! I went the coffee route - and loved this recipe.

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  4. Your photos are beautiful as are your cookies...your post is so inviting...makes me want to relax with a hot cup of something and more of these yummy cookies. Well done. Happy New Year.

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  5. Your olive tree background is just gorgeous and I love the photo with the shadows. I agree that something not too sweet is a must with a cup of tea - it is such a relaxing and enjoyable ritual and your shortbread looks like just the treat. I hope you have a Happy New Year!

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  6. Yael..your cookies are beautiful! I am with you, I love taking a little time out in the day for something sweet. That piece of olive tree is just gorgeous and so special! And I love your photos...so pretty how you play with light and shadows! Hope you have a wonderful New Year! : )

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  7. Great photos...I like the shadows too. And hooray for tea time, I do that most days!

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  8. Beautiful photos! Beautiful cookies! Great job Yael!

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  9. The shadows are excellent. So much drama! I didn't get to make these this week, but I hope to take everyone's advice and play with the flavors when I do get around to it!

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  10. Your olive tree slab is just gorgeous!!

    I got a new external flash for my DSLR for Christmas, and I wanted to have time to play with pictures of my shortbread, but I didn't. Maybe next week!

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  11. Beautiful photos!

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