I made the stuffed kitten shortbread for a family birthday party, where the theme was related to cats.
These are delicate and crumbly shortcrust cookies, similar in taste to those found in pastry shops.
Their aroma comes from the seeds of the vanilla bean and lemon zest, while the presence of only yolks in the dough gives the final product a pleasant crumbly texture.
It is important to use good quality butter, considering its role in preparing shortcrust pastries.
I thought of making the stuffed kitten shortbread in a simply decorated version with dark chocolate on the surface and a richer version that, in addition to the surface decoration, also has a delicious filling with melted white chocolate.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 10 Hours
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3 egg yolks (medium size)
- zest of one organic lemon
- 1/2 bean of vanilla (or half a packet of vanilla sugar)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (small teaspoon)
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 oz white chocolate (or white spreadable cream)
- 2.5 oz dark chocolate
Tools
- Precision Scale
- Baking Trays
- Cookie Cutter Cookie Cutter
- Citrus Grater
Preparation
To make the stuffed kitten shortbread, combine the sugar, seeds from the vanilla bean, grated zest of one organic lemon, and butter in pieces in a bowl and mix.
Then add the yolks and salt and finally mix in the flour and baking powder.
Knead for the minimum time necessary to obtain a homogeneous dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest overnight.
Take the dough and handle it a bit to make it workable again.
With a rolling pin, roll out a portion of the dough, using a light dusting of flour.
Avoid rolling out the dough on wood; prefer steel surfaces or parchment paper fixed to the table.
When you have obtained a thickness of about 1/8 inch, use a cookie cutter to create the desired shapes, in my case I made kittens.
Place the obtained cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.They won’t increase in volume while baking, so there’s no need to space the cookies too much.
Bake at 338 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden.
At this point, you can simply decorate them on the surface.
Alternatively, fill them in the center by pairing two cookies. Once the cookies have cooled, spread one half with melted white chocolate or white spreadable cream, and cover with the other cookie.
Melt the white chocolate in a bain-marie, making sure the boiling water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl containing the chocolate.
Also, it’s good to turn off the heat as soon as most of the chocolate has melted, to prevent overheating.
Stir with a steel spoon, not a wooden one, which absorbs moisture and would contribute to drying out the melting white chocolate.
To decorate the stuffed kitten shortbread, make a small cone with parchment paper, fill it with melted dark chocolate in a bain-marie, and decorate the kittens (video).
The stuffed kitten shortbread is ready to be savored in all its delicate goodness.
Storage
They can be stored at room temperature in an airtight jar, but in the summer, I prefer to put the jar in the fridge.
They can be stored at room temperature in an airtight jar, but in the summer, I prefer to put the jar in the fridge.
Here is a selection of products that are very useful when making desserts. Many of these have been purchased and tested by myself. To view the recommended products click here.
Here is a selection of products that are very useful when making desserts. Many of these have been purchased and tested by myself. To view the recommended products click here.
