Julia Child's Hungarian Shortbread by Charles Recipe - Food.com (2024)

3

Submitted by Bergy

"I was served this wonderful dessert at a friend's house for dinner and asked him to please let me have the recipe so I could post it here - It is a Julia Child! I love it because of the texture and not overly sweet. He used sour cherries instead of the rhubarb. You may use your favorite Jam or preserves instead of the rhubard. It really is easy to make if you follow the instructions."

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Ready In:
1hr 5mins

Ingredients:
11
Yields:

24 Bars

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ingredients

  • The Jam

  • 1 lb rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 12 cup sugar
  • 12 cup water
  • 12 vanilla bean
  • The Shortbread

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 14 teaspoon salt
  • 1 lb unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • confectioners' sugar, for dusting

directions

  • The Jam:

  • Place rhubarb, sugar& water in a saucepan.
  • Split the Vanilla bean and scrape the soft seeds into the pan, (keep the pod for further use in another recipe).
  • Bring to a simmer over low heat, cook stirring often until the rhubarb is soft.
  • Cool the jam.
  • Shortbread:

  • Whisk the flour, baking powder& salt together, set aside.
  • In another bowl beat the butter until it is pale and fluffy.
  • Add the egg yolks& sugar and beat until until the sugar is disolved and you have a light mixture.
  • With you mixer on low speed slowly add the flour mixture, mix ONLY until the ingredients are incorporated.
  • Turn the dough out on you cutting board, cut in half and form each half into a ball, wrap each ball in plastic wrap.
  • Freeze the dough for at least 30 minutes.
  • Assembling& Baking:

  • Preheat oven to 350F with rack in center of the oven.
  • Remove one ball of dough from the freezer and grate the dough into a 9x12" baking pan (use large hole side of your 4 sided grater).
  • Pat the dough- don't press it, so it gets evenly spread in the pan getting right into the corners too.
  • Spread with the Rhubard jam (or jam, preserve of your choice).
  • Grate the remaining ball of dough on top, pat gently so it is evenly spread.
  • Bake for apprx 40 minutes or until it is golden.
  • As soon as you take the pan from the oven dust the shortbread with confectioner's sugar and cool to room temperature on a rack.
  • Cut into bars.
  • The size& shape is up to you.
  • It is nice served with a dab of whipped cream.

Questions & Replies

Julia Child's Hungarian Shortbread by Charles Recipe - Food.com (5)

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Reviews

  1. This recipe is in the Baking with Julia book. However the book is not a book of recipes by Julia Childs. It is a book of recipes by individual chefs in conjunction with Julia. This recipe is by Dorie Greenspan.

    Jane R.

  2. I hate rhubarb but this shortbread recipe was amazing. Tastes so good and easy to make. Did I say I hate rhubarb?

    Sabyan P.

  3. Amazing Recipe and taste. Was served in Gaslight Brassire in Boston and was out of this world.

    Shatha A.

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Bergy

Small town in the Okanagan, B.C.

  • 302 Followers
  • 1523 Recipes
  • 155 Tweaks

On January 10 2010 I will celebrate 9 years of Life with Zaar. I can't imagine being without it! It has become part of my daily routine. I feel very privileged to be one of the hosts on the Photo Forum. Taking photos of my culinary efforts is a full time hobby and I love it. My friends all know what to expect when they come to dinner "Are you finished taking pictures?" or "Did you get a photo of so & so?" I never let them wait too long and the food is NEVER cold! I now have over 6000 photos on Zaar - some fairly good and some definitely not so good. I am happy to say that practice does help. My roots are in Vancouver BC Canada - a very beautiful city that holds many wonderful memories for me. In 1990, I decided that for my retirement years I may want to settle in a smaller community and found a slice of heaven in the North Okanagan B.C. I love living here but every once in a while I miss the bright city lights, the Broadway shows and some of the small wonderful ethnic restaurants that Vancouver abounds in. That is easily resolved. I just take a trip to the coast, visit with friends for a weekend see a show and feast on Dim Sum or other specialty foods. I am getting a bit long in the tooth but was a very adventurous person. I have river rafted Hell's Gate on the Fraser river, been up in a glider over Hawaii (no not a Hang Glider!), gone hot air ballooning in the Napa Valley & the Fraser Valley, driven dune buggies on the dunes in Oregon, Para sailing in Mexico and tried many other adventurous, challenging, fun things. I have yet to try bungee jumping or sky diving. I may do them yet. I love to travel and experience other cultures. Mexco has been a favorite haunt. I have visited that lovely country many many times. Australia is another favorite as is England! In the past 16 months I have taken off 61 pounds and feel wonderful. I am off all medications and all systems are GO! In years I may be 79 but in spirit I am still in my forties. We are only as old as we allow ourselves to feel. Always think positive. Do something a bit challenging every day & always do something silly every day. Be a kid again! Laugh every day - it is internal jogging. Here are a few of my photos <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowNetworking="all" allowFullscreen="true" src="http://w615.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w615.photobucket.com/albums/tt233/Bergylicious/ABM slideshow/d95d7a18.pbw" height="360" width="480">

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Julia Child's Hungarian Shortbread by Charles Recipe  - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

Why did my shortbread fail? ›

Make sure you are using the correct ratio of butter to flour. If there is too much flour or too little butter, the dough may be too dry. Measuring Accuracy: Accurate measuring of ingredients is crucial in baking. If the flour is measured incorrectly (too much flour), it can result in a dry dough.

Does shortbread taste better with age? ›

Shortbread cookies only get better with age, so my preference is to simply store them at room temperature in an airtight container, such as a cookie tin. They will keep well for several weeks, so don't hesitate to make ahead.

How should shortbread dough look? ›

The cookie dough should be crumbly but hold together when squeezed. Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and knead lightly until it holds together. Shape the dough into a ball. Gently flatten the dough ball into a disc.

How does shortbread work? ›

Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture (from an old meaning of the word "short", as opposed to "long", or stretchy). The cause of this texture is its high fat content, provided by the butter. The short or crumbly texture is a result of the fat inhibiting the formation of long protein (gluten) strands.

What are common mistakes when making shortbread? ›

The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour. The less you work the dough, the more crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth your shortbread cookies will be.

How can I improve my shortbread? ›

Tips To Make the Best Shortbread Cookies
  1. Choose High Quality Butter. No matter what brand of butter you buy, if it's real butter, you can rest assured that it's the best. ...
  2. Keep Ingredients Simple. ...
  3. Add Flavor. ...
  4. Don't Overwork. ...
  5. Shape Dough. ...
  6. Chill Before Baking. ...
  7. Bake Until Golden. ...
  8. Add Finishing Touches.

What brand of butter is best for shortbread? ›

Spend extra when it really counts: If you're making a recipe where butter really is the star (think shortbread or biscuits), splashing out for a package of Kerrygold or Vital Farms is worth the expense. The fine differences in the flavor are most impactful in these recipes.

What happens if you don't chill shortbread before baking? ›

But in this shortbread cookie recipe, it really makes a difference. Chilling the dough helps the cookies hold their shape. If you don't chill your shortbread dough, the cookies will spread as they bake.

What are the disadvantages of shortbread? ›

Sugar provides a fast source of energy. There are rarely any artificial additives. Cons: Shortbread is a weight watcher's nightmare because it is extremely high in saturated fat and calories.

Why do you put an egg in shortbread? ›

Adding hard-boiled egg yolks to a basic shortbread recipe makes cookies more tender with the perfect buttery-soft texture. The addition is a sure-fire way to improve the texture of your cookies, but perhaps not always worth the extra time and effort.

How do I know when my shortbread is done? ›

Since you will be cooking your shortbread in the lower third of the oven, you will get some top browning as the cookie bakes. The surface of the shortbread should be a toasty light brown when it is cooked. It should never appear raw or slightly opaque in the middle.

Should butter be cold for shortbread? ›

Should butter be cold or room temperature for making shortbread? Always start with cold butter straight from the refrigerator. This will keep the dough from warming up, making it greasy and difficult to roll out.

What happens if you put too much butter in shortbread? ›

Greasy mess: Extra butter means more fat, making the dough greasy and difficult to handle. Spreading like crazy: Cookies lose their shape, spreading thin and flat instead of staying nice and round. Uneven baking: The excess fat can burn easily on the edges while leaving the center undercooked.

Why is shortbread so expensive? ›

As shortbread was made with butter, sugar and flour, it would be both expensive and difficult to get hold of the ingredients, and so became synonymous with wealth, luxury and celebrations.

Why does shortbread have holes in the top? ›

The word "bread" comes from "biscuit bread" which was made from leftover bread dough that was sweetened and dried out in the oven to make biscuits. Why do you poke holes in shortbread? The holes allow the moisture to escape during baking and more even heat distribution. This helps dry out and crisp up the cookies.

What happens if you overwork shortbread? ›

It's important to avoid over-mixing shortbread dough, which will develop gluten and make the finished product tough, not tender. To make sure that the flour mixes completely with little effort, sift the flour first to get out all of the lumps.

What happens if you don't poke holes in shortbread? ›

Piercing the shortbread with a fork is not only for decoration, but it's meant for more even baking. Poking holes in the shortbread allows the heat to penetrate the cookie, hence more even baking. Notice I'm using powdered sugar here. You'll see lots of shortbread recipes using granulated sugar.

Can you overbeat shortbread? ›

Don't overbeat. To make shapes, form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and freeze or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is ¼ inch thick.

When making shortbread should the butter be cold? ›

If it's too warm, the butter and sugar cannot properly cream and the cookies will taste dense. Many shortbread recipes call for cold butter worked into the dry ingredients and that gives you a wonderfully flaky cookie but if not mixed properly, the results can be inconsistent.

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