Best Shortbread Crust Recipes

SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Stir together flour and baking powder; blend into butter mixture. Pat into a 9 inch pie plate.
• Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.

EASY MINI LEMON TARTS WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine sugar, lemon juice, eggs, flour, and lemon zest for filling together in a large mixing bowl, and whisk until well blended. Set aside.
• Combine flour, butter, sugar, and salt for crust in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times, until the dough begins to come together in a ball.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, placing dough portions in each well of a nonstick 6-well mini tart pan. Press dough over the bottom of each well and up the sides.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is set and the crust is lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack until mini tarts reach room temperature.

SHORTBREAD PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Using your hands, mix butter, brown sugar, white sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Squeeze and work dough until it holds together. Press into three 9 inch pie pans and chill for 2 hours.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly brown around the edges.

PECAN SHORTBREAD COOKIE PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Process cookies into crumbs in a food prcessor or crush in a heavy plastic bag with a rolling pin.
• Add melted butter and mix until combined.
• Press into bottom and sides of a nine-inch pie dish.
• Bake for 10 minutes; it will feel soft, but will firm up as it cools.
• Cool completely before filling with your favorite filling.

FRESH STRAWBERRY PIE WITH SPECIAL SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 375.
• Mix together crust ingredients til crumbly, and press into a 10" pie plate with floured fingers.
• Bake empty crust in pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes, (until very lightly browned on edges).
• Remove from oven and cool completely.
• While the crust is cooling, make the glaze by mixing together the dry ingredients in a pot, then add the boiling water, and cook until the glaze is thickened and clear.
• (I use a whisk and stir constantly) Remove the glaze from heat.
• Add the butter and stir into the glaze until melted.
• Cool the glaze.
• While the glaze is cooling, if your crust is cool enough, add your sliced strawberries to the crust.
• When the glaze is cool, pour it over the sliced strawberries in the pie crust, and chill completely in the fridge until the glaze sets firmly.

CITRUS TART WITH SHORTBREAD ALMOND CRUST

Steps:

• Add the eggs and cream to a medium bowl and whisk together until combined.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar, clementine juice, grapefruit juice and cornstarch. Cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly add the egg-cream mixture and stir to combine. Cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Pour the citrus custard into the prebaked Shortbread Almond Crust and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours or overnight.
• Remove the tart from the refrigerator, top evenly with Citrus Whipped Cream, and sprinkle with the citrus zest.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the cookies and almonds into a food processor and pulse to chop fine. Add the sugar, cinnamon and salt and pulse to combine. Drizzle in the melted butter and process until the mixture holds together.
• Press the crust into a 9-inch fluted tart pan, evenly covering the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, then bake until golden and crisp, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
• In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon of the citrus zest until stiff peaks form.

PRESS-IN SHORTBREAD PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Stir together butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in yolk. Add flour and salt, and stir until mixture is dry and crumbly. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, just until crust turns golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack.
• Make filling (see our Easy Pumpkin Pie recipe).

EASY SHORTBREAD TART CRUST (NO ROLL)

Steps:

• Blend ingredients to make a soft dough.
• Pat into a 9 or 10 inch tart or pie pan.
• Prick crust well with fork.
• Bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together until crumbly.
• Press into bottom and sides of 9 inch pie plate, Brush with egg yolk.
• Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven about 15 minutes until lightly browned.
• Cool and fill.

GOOEY BROWNIES WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of all-purpose flour and sugar. Cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking pan.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm and slightly golden. Set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Make a well in the center, and add the egg, vanilla, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until well blended. Stir in the chopped chocolate and walnuts. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies begin to pull away from the edges, and the top appears dry. Cool, and cut into squares. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

LEMON CHEESECAKE WITH LEMON-ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the center position, without any racks above it.
• Place the cookies in a food processor; pulse to the texture of sand. Add the crushed cookies to a 10-inch springform pan and pour in the melted butter. Using your hands, mix together the cookie crumbs and butter until they are completely combined and hold together when pinched. Firmly press the cookie crust into the bottom of the pan. Press down on the crust with the bottom of a cup to ensure it is tightly packed.
• Bake the crust for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown all over. Remove from oven and let cool. When the pan is cool enough to handle, wrap it in foil three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pan--this will prevent any water from getting into the cheesecake while it is baked in a water bath.
• For the cheesecake: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt. Slowly turn the mixer up to medium-high speed; continue to mix for 2 minutes, until the ingredients are completely combined and smooth.
• Set aside 1/4 cup of the lemon curd and reserve it for the topping. With a rubber spatula, fold the remaining lemon curd into the cheesecake mixture. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and spread it evenly, making sure to flatten the top. Gently tap the pan a few times on a flat surface to even out the mixture.
• Use the reserved lemon curd to make a fun design in the top of the cheesecake. For instance, you can dollop 15 small dots, about a heaping 1/2 teaspoon each, around the border of the cake and then 6 small dots towards the center of the cake and 1 dot directly in the center. Drag a skewer around the center of the first ring of dots to pull the lemon curd into a teardrop shape. Repeat with the interior circle of lemon curd drops.
• Place the foil-lined springform pan in a large roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water until it reaches about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still has a pudding-like jiggle. Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes before removing the pan from the water bath. Let the cheesecake sit another 30 minutes. While the cheesecake is still warm, run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan and then release the sides of the pan. (If you do this after the cheesecake has cooled completely, the cake may tear slightly.) Let the cheesecake cool completely before slicing and serving. Refrigerate any cheesecake not being served immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Lightly grease the foil and sides of the pan with butter.
• In a food processor, pulse the sugar with the lemon zest and rosemary until well combined. Remove 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture and reserve.
• Add the butter, vanilla and salt to the food processor with the sugar and pulse until combined. Add the flour, about 1 cup at a time, pulsing to combine after each addition. After the last addition, you may have to stir and scrape down the sides of the food processor to help incorporate all of the flour. Continue to pulse until the dough comes together.
• Turn the dough out into the prepared baking pan and press it in evenly. Poke the dough all over with a fork and sprinkle it with the reserved sugar.
• Use a knife to cut the dough into approximately 3-by-1-inch rectangles (or whichever shape you prefer). Bake until golden brown at the edges and golden in the center, about 25 minutes. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a bench scraper or knife to re-cut the lines of the cookies. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the cookies with the foil and cool completely on a rack.

CARAMEL PUDDING TART WITH ALMOND SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Butter 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Combine almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in processor; grind nuts finely. Add flour, powdered sugar, and salt; blend 5 seconds. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until coarse meal forms. Add egg yolk and blend until moist clumps form, about 30 seconds. Knead dough into ball. Transfer 1/4 cup dough to small bowl and reserve for another use. Press remaining dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Pierce bottom all over with fork. Cover pan with foil and freeze crust at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crust uncovered until deep golden brown, checking often and pressing sides and bottom with back of fork during first 15 minutes when crust puffs or bubbles, about 20 minutes total. Cool completely.
• For pudding:
• Place cornstarch and salt in medium bowl. Gradually add 1/4 cup milk, whisking until cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in egg yolks.
• Stir sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil, brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups milk (mixture will bubble). Whisk until caramel bits dissolve. Slowly whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture; return to same pan. Whisk until pudding thickens and boils, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer to crust. Chill uncovered until cold and just firm, at least 3 hours. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead.
• For topping:
• Stir 2/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium skillet (do not use nonstick) over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil, brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush. Boil without stirring until syrup is medium amber color, about 7 minutes. Add almonds and stir to coat evenly with caramel. Immediately scrape coated almonds onto sheet of foil. Working quickly with 2 forks, separate almonds and spread out in single layer. Cool completely. Do ahead Let almonds stand at room temperature up to 6 hours or cover and chill up to 1 day. Break almonds into small clusters before using.
• Press bottom of pan up, releasing tart. Whisk cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in bowl until peaks form; spread over tart. Sprinkle almond clusters with fleur de sel. Garnish tart with clusters.

RHUBARB TART WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring rhubarb, sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir until thickened and rhubarb is tender. Cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor; cover and process until mixture is smooth; set aside., For crust, place the flour, pecans, butter, confectioners' sugar and salt in a food processor; cover and process until crumbly. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. tart pan with removable bottom. Bake crust at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned., Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, zest and rhubarb mixture until blended. Add butter; cook until butter is melted, whisking constantly. Stir in food coloring if desired; pour into prepared crust., Bake at 350° 12-15 minutes longer or until center is almost set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.

APRICOT BARS WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• For the shortbread crust: blend flour, sugar and salt together for about 10 seconds in a processor.
• Add in cold butter using on/off turns, and process until coarse meal forms.
• Press crumbs firmly into bottom of the pan.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the center is golden, remove and keep oven heat on to same temperature.
• To make the filling: place apricots in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil and simmer until soft (about 4 minutes) drain, and set aside.
• In a small bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
• Using an electric mixer beat eggs in a large bowl for about 2 minutes.
• Add in brown sugar and vanilla and beat until thick.
• Stir in flour mixture.
• Mix/mix in the apricots and nuts.
• Spread over the shortbread crust.
• Bake for about 35 minutes, or until puffed and dark golden brown.
• Cool in dish.
• Cut into small squares or triangles, and dust lightly with powdered sugar.

LEMON MERINGUE PIE WITH HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Grind nuts finely in processor. Add flour and blend well. Add remaining ingredients. Using on/off turns, process just until moist clumps form. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm enough to roll, about 45 minutes.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Roll out dough between sheets of waxed paper to 12-inch round, turning over occasionally to lift and smooth paper. Peel off top sheet of paper. Using bottom paper as aid, lift dough and invert into 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Peel off paper. Press dough gently into dish. Fold overhang under; crimp to form decorative edge. Pierce crust all over with fork. Chill 15 minutes. Line crust with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust until sides are set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust is pale golden, about 20 minutes longer. Transfer crust to rack and cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
• filling
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 6 large egg yolks
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• Whisk first 7 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Using whisk, stir over medium heat until filling thickens and just begins to boil, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter. Spoon hot filling into prepared crust.
• meringue
• 7 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/8 cups powdered sugar
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large stainless steel bowl at low speed until foamy. Beat in cream of tartar and 1 tablespoon sugar. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat at medium speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 8 minutes. Spread meringue over warm filling, covering completely, sealing meringue to crust edges and mounding in center. Bake pie for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 275°F and continue to bake until meringue is golden brown and set when pie is shaken slightly, about 50 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered.)

PECAN SHORTBREAD COOKIE CRUST

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 350^. Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. Press evenly into pie pan or other baking dish; lining the bottom and sides of dish. Bake for about 20 minutes; just until crust starts to brown. Cool.
• 2. Note: It is not necessary to bake this crust if you don't want to. Works great either way baked or not!

PEAR TART WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) and place a rack in the center of the oven. Spray a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
• Place flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse to blend together. Add butter and pulse until dough just begins to come together.
• Pat the dough onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the filling.
• Process cream cheese in the food processor until smooth. Add sugar and mix well. Blend in egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread filling over the chilled crust. Arrange pear halves on top.
• Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; sprinkle over pears.
• Bake tart in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and bake until crust is browned and filling is almost set, 25 to 30 minutes more.
• Cool tart for about 20 minutes on a wire rack. Run a sharp, thin knife around the edges to remove the springform ring. Cool to room temperature before serving.

NEW YORK STYLE CHEESECAKE ON SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• PREP------.
• As with all baking, have all your ingredients at a cool room temperature (65°F).
• Get a couple quarts of water boiling on the stove.
• Arrange racks in your oven so there's one on the lowest and one in the middle. If you do not have a center position then go mid-lower.
• Have a clean 10x14x2-inch (give or take) roasting pan ready.
• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Grease 10 inch springform pan.
• CRUST-------.
• Gently combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1/2 cup butter in a medium bowl.
• Spread to the edges of the pan.
• Prick all over with a fork, then bake 10-15 minutes at 400°F until lightly browned. Allow to cool on a rack.
• FILLING------.
• Increase oven temperature to 475°F.
• Turn oven light off (trust me on this one), place roasting pan on bottom rack and fill with boiling water.
• In a large bowl (I use my stand mixer), very gently beat cream cheese until smooth. I use the slowest setting for 5 minutes.
• Scrape down sides of bowl.
• Gradually add the salt, 1 3/4 cups sugar and 3 tablespoons flour -- continue to beat SLOWLY until well combined, scrape down sides of bowl.
• In a small bowl gently beat the vanilla, 5 eggs and the 2 yolks, gradually add eggs to the cream cheese mixture.
• Continue to stir until combined and smooth, stop mixer occasionally and scrape down sides.
• VERY IMPORTANT! Stop mixer, remove bowl and give it a good scraping (some of the cream cheese will stick to the sides and bottom of the bowl), replace bowl on mixer and stir until all lumps are gone.
• Add cream and mix only enough to blend.
• Gently pour filling over crust, run a thin knife around the filling in a S pattern to remove any trapped air bubbles. Let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes then do it again.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 475°F.
• Reduce temperature to 200°F and continue to bake for one hour.
• Turn oven off, but leave cake in for another hour.
• DON'T TOUCH THAT OVEN DOOR! You've created a nice, humid environment that will help prevent cracks and produce a perfect, professional, NY style cheese cake assuming you didn't mess with it by changing the atmospheric conditions.
• It may appear a little jiggly in the center and will have a golden appearance around the edges.
• Allow to cool on a rack for several hours, release the latch slightly on the side of the pan after 20 minutes, rotate sides to be sure the cake is free (but don't take it off yet), you can remove the sides after an hour (or so) if you want to admire your work, but replace it quickly or the cake may fall.
• After it's cool, wrap completely with plastic wrap, there should be a layer stuck to the top of the cake.
• Chill overnight in the refrigerator (Yes, this is required).
• The cake will stay at peak flavor for several days so long as you keep it wrapped and cold.
• What can go wrong?.
• If the cake cracks you either had your ingredients too cold, mixed the filling too vigorously, opened the oven door while the cake was cooking or didn't have a pan of water in the oven.
• If it does crack, don't despair -- just cover with a dark fruit or a layer of cookie crumbs.
• Toppings------.
• Nothing (my favorite).
• OR, boil a bag of frozen berries with a 1/4 cup of sugar until the liquid coats the back of a spoon, thicken with a table spoon of cornstarch mixed into a 1/4 cup of cold water -- Pour in slowly while maintaining the boil and stirring constantly.
• Adjust thickness by adding liquid or more cornstarch.
• Flavor with liqueur, fruit juice or extract.
• Blueberries or raspberries with Chambord is awesome, cherries work well with Frangelico or Amaretto. If you do use an alcoholic beverage, be sure to boil off alcohol. Cool fruit sauce in a mason jar and refrigerate. Keeps longer than the cheese cake!
• I've served it with caramel sauce and, buttered/sliced/baked apples .
• A light milk chocolate sauce, a sprinkle of chopped pecans and dollop of whipped cream will produce a nice turtle cake.

CHOCOLATE CHIP-MACADAMIA NUT BARS WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend flour and sugar in processor. Add butter; process using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to 8-inch square glass baking dish. Press mixture onto bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of dish. Bake until crust is golden brown on edges, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling:
• Whisk sugar, flour, eggs, butter and vanilla extract to blend in large bowl. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
• Pour filling into warm crust, smoothing surface. Bake until filling is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes. Transfer dish to rack; cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.) Cut int 16 squares.

LEMON BARS WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan, making sure you grease the sides of the pan very well.
• In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups flour and confectioners' sugar until well-blended. (If the confectioner's sugar is lumpy, sift or push it through a strainer to get the lumps out.).
• Blend in the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake this (shortbread crust) in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs until light.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the white sugar, baking powder and 1/4 cup of flour so there will be no flour lumps. Stir the sugar mixture into the eggs.
• Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Pour over the prepared crust and return to the oven.
• Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until bars are set. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.