Ted Lasso's "Biscuits with the Boss" Shortbread

If you’ve watched the Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso, you are familiar with his famous biscuits. He brings them to his daily morning meetings (in adorable little pink boxes) with his boss & pretty soon she is addicted. Even if you have not seen this hit show (BTW: Jason Sudeikis won Best Actor in a television series - comedy or musical at last week’s Golden Globes; you really should try to see it, it’s one of the most positive, uplifting, happy things I’ve seen in a long, long time), the show’s biscuits have taken over the internet food world and are really worth making. They are super-easy and come together very quickly. 

As a quick aside, the show is about an American football coach who relocates to England to lead a professional British soccer team (with absolutely no knowledge of soccer). You can imagine the situations that ensue.

I made them last week and let me tell you, they are fabulous. They are very much like a traditional English shortbread, but a bit more sweet and chewy, rather than crunchy. Of course, you can tamp down the sugar if you like (I might do that myself next time). They keep very well in an airtight container (I have not tried freezing them yet, but I would imagine they freeze well). They are the perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee (or tea, if you’re following along the classic British lines), or even as an after-dinner sweet. 

If you make these biscuits, leave a note below to let me know what you think. Have a great day!

Ted Lasso’s “Biscuits with the Boss” Shortbread

Ingredients:

1 C unsalted butter, softened, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing the pan

2 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C granulated sugar

1 t pure vanilla extract

1/2 t fine sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9” square baking pan with butter. Line bottom and sides of pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1” overhang on all sides. Set aside.
2. Beat butter, flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt with a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on low speed until mixture is well-combined and just beginning to come together, 45 seconds to one minute.
3. Using your hands, press dough evenly into prepared pan. If mixture is too sticky, place a sheet of parchment paper on top of dough and press into pan (remove parchment before baking).
4. Bake until edges are golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool completely in pan, about one hour. Using parchment as handles, lift biscuits from pan.
5. Cut into 18 rectangles. Store in airtight container.

RECIPEinaFLASH: Rosemary Shortbread

Well, here we are about halfway through summer. I hope you are having a great one! 

For me, summer is all about maximizing outdoor time and that includes dining. So when we invited some friends for dinner on the deck recently, I made these wonderful Rosemary Shortbread to serve with cocktails. They are buttery, just a little bit sweet, and were perfect with the cosmos and martinis we were drinking; they would also be lovely with a crisp Chardonnay.

The recipe comes from my friend in Austin who is a terrific hostess. She served them when we visited earlier this year & the recipe stuck with me. Pair them with a creamy brie or a Spanish Manchego, set out a bowl of smoked almonds, and you’re all set!

What are some of your summer alfresco dining tips? Leave a note below.

Enjoy!

Print recipe here.

Baked Goodness!

Holiday Greetings!

Even though it doesn't feel like December in New Jersey (it will approach 67 degrees on Christmas Day here!), and even though we are heading South to spend Christmas in the hot Mexican sun, I still had to bake! It's like a sickness (but in a good way).

For a special birthday dinner this weekend, I made Maida Heatter's fabulous Budapest Coffee Cake. This cake contains everything that a good coffee cake should: raisins, cinnamon, walnuts, brown sugar, cocoa, and sour cream to help keep it moist. Layering the batter alternately with the filling, assures delicious mouthfuls of streusel with every bite. And it makes a big bundt, so there'll be plenty to give your guests little "to go" packages (and enough for you to snack on the next day). 

Truth be told, I had forgotten about this gem of a cake. During "I Love Cheesecake's" peak, we made this all the time as part of our offerings. I found it again while doing a search for sour cream coffee cakes on Food52. When I saw it, I knew I just had to make it, especially because it's a favorite of the birthday girl. If you're into coffee cake, make this beauty.

This morning, when for some dang reason, I couldn't sleep past 4am (!), I started rooting around for something to bake (what's that saying about idle hands?). Leafing through my Evernote recipe collection, I found a little cookie saved recently that sounded wonderful. And I also happened to have everything in the pantry (very important at 4 in the morning).

So straight from my early morning kitchen, I give you Cinnamon and Rye Shortbread. These were also a Food52 find (BTW: if you aren't a Food52 reader, you really should check it out). I had purchased a bag of King Arthur rye flour awhile ago and was hankering to make good use of it (other than a bread type item). 

Folks, these shortbread are fabulous! Sweet, salty, buttery, adorable little bites of deliciousness. They go together easily and quickly and would be a really nice addition to any holiday cookie plate.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and all good things for the New Year!

Eat well, stay warm, be happy!