I don't care what anyone says, no one looks forward to the end of the school year more than the teachers. These last few weeks have just about killed me, and exam week is always the worst - so close to being done, and yet not done. Absolute torture.
My students (college students, mind you) send me the most amazing emails.
Many of them go something like this:
Hey, I (choose relevant excuse): haven't come to class since January/missed every one of our 18 quizzes/couldn't bother taking notes most of the semester. I am really sorry. Did I miss anything important?/Can I make all this up by tomorrow?/Can you tell me everything I need to know? I really need a good grade in this class. Email me back and let me know. Thanks!
Alright, some pointers:
First, you should at least use my name and spell it right. Otherwise I will assume you are sending the exact same email to every one of your professors in a desperate, last-ditch effort to grub for (undeserved) points.
Second: Why are you apologizing to me? It's your grade. Better yet, skip the sorry and start working.
Third: It was all important, it is physically impossible to do 15 weeks of work in 24 hours, and you should have been paying attention.
Fourth: I hate email.
Is it any wonder the stress eating kicked in? I think not.
I needed comfort food, and I decided shortbread would fit the bill.
It had to be gluten-free shortbread, though. I have noticed that I am becoming more sensitive to gluten, and especially when I am stressed. I used to be able to get away with eating it a lot more, and while I certainly feel much better when I don't eat gluten, now I actually feel pretty bad when I do.
I decided to survey what was out on the interwebs, and came back with three clear choices: Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef (How cute are they? So cute! I totally wanna be their friend in a non-cyber-stalkery way), Serious Eats, and All Recipes, UK.
GFGC's gluten-free flour mix required a pre-recipe before the actual recipe started, which didn't fit into my need for INSTANT gratification. Lame, I know, but I just couldn't face it.
I was left with a two-contender bake-off.
Shortbread #1 on the left above - All Recipes, requires only 4 ingredients (I added xanthan gum to bring it to 5) and has the enhanced credibility of actually coming from the UK.
Shortbread # 2 on the right above - Serious Eats. More complicated, more ingredients, requires rolling, but I like rolled cookies - they look tidy.
The results:
Shortbread #1 - Super-fast, super simple. Requires chilling the dough for an hour prior to baking, so not quite instant results. Nice yellow color from the corn flour. Very light, tender and almost melty texture.
Shortbread # 2 - More complicated ingredients and assembly, including rolling out, but no refrigeration required. Very crisp and snappy, deep sweet buttery flavor, almost toffee-like. A little pale in color.
The British Guy offered up his opinions - he fancies himself quality control. He objected to Shortbread 1 on the grounds that 'shortbread should not melt in your mouth'. Shortbread 2 was pronounced 'almost like Walker's', and the clear winner. Other taste-testers at the office concurred, Shortbread 2 was far superior as a shortbread, but Shortbread 1 was very much like the texture of a good snowball or Mexican wedding cookie.
So, Shortbread #1 isn't really shortbread-y, but is a fine and lovely cookie nonetheless.
Shortbread #2 is everything you'd want in a shortbread, buttery, rich, sweet and crisp, and gluten-free too. A clear winner, and an excellent way to keep yourself busy both baking and eating when you really just want to bang you head against the nearest wall.
Gluten-free tender corn cookies.
Starting point: All Recipes UK. Grams are from the original, cups are my measurements for your convenience.
Makes 20, 2-inch cookies.
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon corn flour 100 g
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon white rice flour 160 g
8 tablespoons powdered sugar 60 g
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum 1.5 g
3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon butter 175 g (softened)
Plus a pinch of salt if butter is unsalted.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the softened butter and mix with your hands until you have a soft dough. This takes just a few minutes. If the dough feels too sticky, add a little more of either kind of flour.
Press into a disk about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Cut the dough into 1 inch cubes (2.5 cm) and roll into balls. Place on the baking tray, about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Using a fork, press the tines into each ball to flatten to about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and the cookie edges begin to brown.
Remove the cookie tray from the oven and let the cookies cool on the trays for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Store cookies in an airtight container. They keep remarkably well and will easily last for a week to 10 days.
Gluten-free shortbread cookies.
Starting point: Serious Eats. Cups are from the original, grams are my measurements.
Makes 30, 2-inch cookies.
1 1/3 cups white rice flour 150 g (plus extra for rolling)
1/2 cup tapioca flour 71 g
1/2 cup cornstarch 57 g
1 teaspoon salt 6 g
1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1.5 g
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum 1.5 g
14 tablespoons unsalted butter 199 g (softened)
3/4 cup granulated sugar 149 g
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
You will need a rolling pin, stand mixer and a round cookie cutter.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Whisk the flours, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and xanthan gum together. In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until incorporated, about a minute. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.
Turn the mixer off, add the dry ingredients, and start the mixer on low until the flours begin to combine, about a minute. Turn the mixer up to medium and mix until a dough forms, about 2 more minutes.
Use additional white rice flour to generously dust your countertop and rolling pin. Turn the dough out onto the floured counter and press into a disk. Dust the top of the dough with more flour. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick (about 3/4 cm). Cut into rounds and place about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using a fork, make three rows of punctures on the top of each cookie. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cookies are starting to brown around the edges. Rotate the trays after 15 minutes, if baking two at the same time.
Remove the cookie trays from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets for at least 5 minutes, longer if possible.
Store cookies in an airtight container. They keep remarkably well and will easily last for a week to 10 days.
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