Guest Post:
I’m excited that Ada Maria Soto came to me looking to share a recipe. I adore when I get authors sharing recipes with me. I love to cook and finding something new to try is always wonderful. Today she has a recipe that has a special story behind it. I hope everyone gets a chance to make these delicious sounding shortbread recipe. I plan on making them as soon as all of my baking things are unpacked. Read and enjoy!
My first Christmas in New Zealand was a strange one for a couple of reasons. Firstly it was my first Christmas where it was 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity. It was also my first Christmas away from my family. My four flatmates were in the same boat. My fellow American couldn’t afford to go back to New York for Christmas any more than I could afford the ticket to San Francisco. Of my two New Zealand flatmates, Laura was from the South Island, which is a long flight or extremely long drive. And the one from Auckland just didn’t want to go home.
We were all massively broke but we managed to get a tree and stand it up in a bucket, and our landlady who had a farm gave us a six and a half pound leg of lamb. (I should note in New Zealand it is not uncommon to get lamb roast this size. The sheep are effing big here.)
Laura’s mom also sent a box of cookies. It was labeled Whole Wheat Shortbread (Non-Vegan). Since Laura was on a vegan kick at the time it meant that Laura’s mom had sent the cookies for the rest of the flat. Laura’s mom is awesome and the cookies were really good. I begged for the recipe and she gladly shared it. I’ve tweaked it a little over the years but it’s still really good and I’ve never had a complaint.
Laura’s Mom’s Whole Wheat Christmas Shortbread
(Don’t let the whole wheat thing put you off. It’s really good.)
(Also note that this recipe was given to me in metric.)
Ingredients:
225 gms/8 oz/1 cup Butter
1 rounded cup Icing Sugar
½ cup Cornstarch (Note: in NZ and other places Cornstarch is called Cornflour. I’m talking about the fine white stuff used to thicken gravy, not the stuff you make tortillas out of.)
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup plain flour
Pinch of salt
Dried cranberries, dried cherries, dark chocolate, walnuts, anything else you like in your cookies. Get creative.
Directions:
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Mix flours and cornstarch.
- Add to butter and sugar.
- Kneed well.
- Add in extra stuff. Make sure it’s chopped small and don’t put in more than a cup or you’ll compromise the structural integrity of the cookie.
- Divide the dough into four pieces.
- Roll each piece into a log like shape that can be cut into biscuits (cookies).
- Refrigerate for ½ hour.
- Cut into biscuits (cookies) and put onto lined or nonstick pan.
- Prick with fork.
- Bake in 150c/300f oven for ½ hour until just turning golden brown.
- Cool then eat.
- Great for dipping in coffee or chocolate.
About Ada Maria:
ADA MARIA SOTO is a born and raised Californian Mexican-American currently living as an expat in the South Pacific with her toddler and partner.
She has studied and worked in theater, film, and television with all the usual crummy side jobs of a struggling artist. She has dysgraphia and phonological dyslexia but refuses to let that slow down her writing.
She is a sports fan dedicated to the Oakland A’s, San Jose Sharks, Auckland Blues, USA Eagles, New Zealand All Blacks, New Zealand Black Caps, and the Chennai Super Kings.
She loves to hear from her fans, or really anyone who has read her work.
Author Contact:
Website: https://adamariasoto.com
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+AdaSoto
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdaMariaSoto
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdaMariaSotoAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5321801.Ada_Maria_Soto
Molly Lolly 