Biscuits Maison...French Stamped Shortbread Cookies

Here’s something I have been wanting to try…French stamped cookies!  I first saw the cookie stamp on a beautiful Italian blog La Buca delle Fate here and knew I had to have it! But…it was not easy to find!

It seemed that it had to be ordered from a bookstore in France and I think I bought the last one even at that.  Then I waited…and waited…and finally my package arrived! Woo hoo! Baby Kitty seems totally unimpressed, however!

The cookie stamp comes with a beautiful little book called Biscuits Maison (Homemade Cookies)  filled with recipes for pretty French cookies. Of course, the recipes and directions are all in French…not a problem for me to read, but the ingredients never quite deliver the same result as they do in France. I made this discovery in France doing the reverse…making American cookies with French ingredients…which turned out looking more like crèpes!  It must be the flour that is somehow different. And needless to say…the measurements and oven temperatures are all metric or worse. I will have to do a post about my cooking adventures in France some day! It was a challenge! 

Sooo…I opted to skip the cookbook for now and use an American recipe for shortbread cookies which you will find at the end of this post! However, to give them that certain frenchy je ne sais quoi I decided that I would add some food coloring inspired by these wonderfully pretty and yummy macarons from Laudrée in Paris! Even a visit to their web site is a delight! I dare not even dream of attempting them, but I could attempt to mimic their gorgeous pastel colors!

And here is the result…some very buttery melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies pretending to be French and hanging out under a very frenchy cloche! One of these days I will be brave and attempt one of the French recipes when the emotional scars of dealing with a French oven with gas marks 1 through 10 on the knob instead of temperatures…I kid you not!…have had a chance to fade a little more! lol

Here’s the recipe…ironically called Carolina Stamped Shortbread! I made a few changes in the way I made stamped the cookies and have changed the recipe accordingly.

CAROLINA STAMPED SHORTBREAD
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all purpose white flour
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on low, then on medium speed,
beat together the butter, powdered sugar, cornstarch, granulated sugar,
salt, and vanilla until light and well-blended, about 3 minutes. 
Beat, then stir in the flour until evenly incorporated. 
Let the dough stand for 5 minutes, or until firmed up slightly.
Add food coloring if desired, working it in with your hands. 
Pinch off enough dough to form a 1 to 1 1/2 inch ball. Flatten ball with your palm.
Press with desired cookie stamp which has been sprayed with butter flavored cooking spray.
Use a glass as a cutter to trim for a cleaner edge. 
Bake at 325º F for about 20 minutes or until light brown on the bottom. (I found that about 16 minutes worked for me.)
Enjoy!


Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my French stamped cookies! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Beth at The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Marty at A Stroll thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday/ Summer Cloche Party
Anita at Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up! on Tuesdays
Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Sizzle into Summer
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Michael Lee at Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!