Sallys Christmas Shortbread Recipes

Steps:

• Beat butter, brown sugar, orange zest, ginger and cloves until fluffy.
• Stir in baking soda and flour.
• Divide dough in half.
• Press into (2) 8" round ungreased baking pans.
• Bake in a 350 degree fahrenheit oven for 25 minutes or until the tops are dry and cracked, and the edges are slightly higher than the center.
• Cool in the pans for 5 minutes.
• Cut into wedges.
• Prick each wedge with the tines of a fork.
• Cool and dust with confectioner's sugar.
• Store tightly covered.

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; with a pastry cutter, chop in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir the rum extract and almond extract into the water in a small bowl. Mix into the dry ingredients, a little bit at a time, until the mixture holds together in a ball when you squeeze it.
• Place the dough onto a floured work surface, and sprinkle with flour; roll out into a sheet 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with floured cookie cutters, and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bake the cookies just until the edges are lightly browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool on sheets for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to finish cooling. Cool completely before decorating.
• For frosting, whisk the confectioners' sugar and milk in a bowl until smooth. If desired, divide frosting into small bowls, and tint each bowl a desired shade with food coloring. Frost fully cooled cookies, and sprinkle with edible glitter before the frosting sets.