2 cup unsalted softened butter
1 cup sugar
4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
Directions
Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes
1. Cream butter and sugar in large mixer bowl until light and
fluffy. Beat in flour and salt. Knead the dough briefly until smooth.
If dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour. (Dough can be
refrigerated up to several days; soften slightly before shaping
cookies.)
2. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Have ungreased baking sheets ready.
3. Pat half of the dough out on lightly floured surface to 1/2 -inch
thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Place
cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake until light brown on
edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
Note: The sheep cookie cutter used by Koenig is a Hallmark cutter
that is no longer available. A sheep pattern can be made out of
cardboard and placed over dough; cut out the shape with a small knife.
Third prize went to Betty J. Koenig, of Hammond, Ind., for her
recipe for shortbread cookies in the shape of sheep. Betty uses a
sheep cookie cutter to make these cookies. She suggests using your
fingertips to dimple the dough to resemble their wooly coats. If
desired, a small piece of chocolate can be used for eyes after
baking. Chicago Tribune, December 13, 1990 from the Chicago Tribune
third annual Food Guide Holiday Cookie Contest
Servings: 16 servings
1990 3rd Place: Shortbread Sheep Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads; Meat
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to follow the history of written cooking instructions back into the distant past, at least as far into history as early Egypt, and maybe further still. Interesting though that is, mostly, these early cook books were just primitive pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for preparing meals.
The truth of the matter is, the oldest recipe in existence, according to food historians is a series of stone tablets in ancient Sumerian which describe the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who drank it feel `wonderful`. Later on, in The time of the roman empire around 25BC a man called Apicius assembled a few documents describing recipes enjoyed by wealthy roman citizens. He tells us how the roman meals were divided into hors d`oeuvre, main course and dessert, a very modern way of dining. Aspicius also informs us how the Romans used a wide range of herbs and spices, including a few that will be familiar to modern chefs such as basil, mint and asafoetida. Later, in the fifteenth century, the Crusaders brought back many spices and herbs from Arab countries, including spices like coriander, basil and rosemary. These new culinary innovations prompted a torrent in recipe manuscripts, most of which still exist in academic collections. The arrival of television brought us cooking programs and the accompanying recipe books. Which brings us neatly to the present day and the invention of the internet, permitting everyone to access thousands of recipes just like those on our web site. |
We hope you enjoy this 1990 3rd Place_ Shortbread Sheep recipe.
