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After receiving Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan for Christmas, I thought I would try and make a recipe a week till Im through the book. Yes, I know, there are over 300 recipes. It will take me 5 years or more. ha! Nothing like setting a goal for myself, right? (I am horrible at follow through. AWFUL! Who knows how long this will last. Anyone wanna join me, keep me going in this task?? Id welcome a buddy!)
So, for this edition of “Tuesdays with Dorie”, I made Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies. They tasted fantastic. Very buttery, the pecans added a very pecan sandy taste. But they looked so poor. I mean bad, bad, bad looking cookies. NOTHING like the perfect cute little picture in the book. I didnt even bother to take a picture because they just were not at all photogenic cookies. (I dont think you would be able to tell they WERE cookies!) I think I will give them another try, maybe it was the temperature. Maybe they cooled off too much while I was cutting them. They spread WAY out. Did not stay in the cute squares they were supposed to.
I have my eye on many, many recipes from this book. Its more like a bible of baking. Im excited to try something else, and hopefully it will go a little better. Till next week… 
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I would love to join you! I also got “Baking: From My Home to Yours” for Christmas! I will make those cookies tomorrow
Drop me an email if you want to buddy up!
Comment by Michelle January 1, 2008 @ 11:03 pmMichelle- Super sweet, Email sent!
Comment by slush January 1, 2008 @ 11:19 pmI have that book and have baked a lot of the recipes. The shortbread cookies have to chill, chill, and chill some more in the fridge. It’s the only way I was able to get them to not spread. I hope that helps. I am excited to see what else you bake.
Comment by Gigi January 1, 2008 @ 11:52 pmGigi- Thanks for the tip! I had a feeling maybe they were not cold enough when I saw how much they spread out. The one pan was literally a sheet of shortbread rather than cookies. I had to cut them again when I pulled them out.
Comment by slush January 2, 2008 @ 12:01 amI hear ya on the 5 year plan! My 500 cupcake challenge would take me 10 years if I made one every week and that so aint happening b/c well… I have a life! LOL. But the process is bound to be fun nonetheless right?
Comment by cuppycakes January 2, 2008 @ 12:43 amI love this idea! I’m really looking forward to watching your baking results.
Comment by Tempered Woman January 2, 2008 @ 3:06 pmAs far as cookies go- lots of things can cause spread. The kind of butter you use, how soft the butter was when you combined it with dry ingredients, how long you chilled the dough, the warmth of the pan you placed the cookies on… Using parchment paper (don’t grease the pan) also helps.
Can’t wait to see the Cupcake Hero results~ I was way too pooped (ok, lazy) to attempt this month’s contest.
[...] I had somewhat of an advantage here since Laurie made these a day before I did and she said that her cookies spread an awful lot. She recommended popping them back into the refrigerator to chill after cutting them and before baking them. I did just that, for about 15-20 minutes and then baked them off as the recipe reads. Mine also spread, but not to the extent that Laurie said hers did, so we think that the additional chill may be the key. Perhaps even a stint in the freezer before going into the oven. The flavor, however, is absolutely fabulous. The brown sugar gives them a caramel cookie taste. And let’s be honest – spread or no spread, you really can’t go wrong with shortbread! To read Laurie’s take on the recipe, go here. [...]
Pingback by TWD: Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies (and my 100th!) « Sugar & Spice January 2, 2008 @ 6:01 pmOh my gosh, I ended up with thin, crispy wafers instead of cookies – they spread THAT much
They were very tasty though and my mom really liked them (she loves pecan sandies).
Comment by Shawnda January 2, 2008 @ 6:24 pmI admit, I’d be tempted to join you on baking through Dorie’s book but I’ve had mine for a year now and have already baked more out of it than any other 3 books I own! Good luck and have fun!
Comment by Jenny January 2, 2008 @ 7:46 pmI have this book, and I love it. I have only made a couple of things out of it. I would love to join in. No promises, but the motive is definitly there!
Comment by April January 2, 2008 @ 7:53 pmCuppycakes- 500 recipes, eegads thats a lot!!! lemme know how thats going for ya
tempered woman- i think its the chilling situation. i may try freezing a bit before baking next time. and dont worry, there is always next month for CH!
Shawnda- Im so glad its not just me!!!! Mine were crispy wafers too.
Comment by slush January 2, 2008 @ 8:23 pmJenny- I know, Im late jumping on the Dorie wagon, but better late than never??
April- Sweet! Ill let ya know what we choose for next week. Im awful with commitment, but hopefully it will last a little while before I let it slide. The good intention is there.
Comment by slush January 2, 2008 @ 8:25 pmI also got the book for Christmas and it will be nice to have reviews before I bake. I tried the allspice muffins Lemon zest opional but I say it is a must! Enjoy the book!!
Comment by megan January 9, 2008 @ 11:29 pm[...] installment of my “catch up” posts is going all the way back to the beginning of Tuesdays with Dorie. Laurie of Quirky Cupcake first posted back on January 1, 2008 that she [...]
Pingback by Blast From TWD Past: Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread « Something Sweet by Karen June 22, 2008 @ 9:30 pm[...] I had somewhat of an advantage here since Laurie made these a day before I did and she said that her cookies spread an awful lot. She recommended popping them back into the refrigerator to chill after cutting them and before baking them. I did just that, for about 15-20 minutes and then baked them off as the recipe reads. Mine also spread, but not to the extent that Laurie said hers did, so we think that the additional chill may be the key. Perhaps even a stint in the freezer before going into the oven. The flavor, however, is absolutely fabulous. The brown sugar gives them a caramel cookie taste. And let’s be honest – spread or no spread, you really can’t go wrong with shortbread! To read Laurie’s take on the recipe, go here. [...]
Pingback by Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies (and my 100th!) : Brown Eyed Baker - A Food & Cooking Blog June 1, 2009 @ 12:43 pm