Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Iced Gems
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
45 mins
45 mins
2 hrs
Serves:
About 36 iced gems
Paul Hollywood created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ 17. Tiny orange shortbread biscuits are crowned with a crisp rainbow star of royal icing, dried in the oven for a satisfying crust. The judges praised the contrast between the crunchy icing and the buttery, melt-in-the-mouth shortbread. C...
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Ingredients
FOR THE ORANGE SHORTBREAD: 7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature ¼ cup (50 g) caster sugar (superfine sugar) 1 orange, zest only, finely grated 1¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled ¼ teaspoon fine salt
FOR THE ROYAL ICING: 2 egg whites (about ¼ cup / 60 g); pasteurized egg whites can be used 3⅓ cups (400 g) powdered sugar, sifted Gel food coloring in pastel pink, yellow, peach, blue and lilac
EQUIPMENT: Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments Parchment paper and a baking sheet 1¼-inch round cutter Wire rack 5 small piping bags 1 large piping bag fitted with an open star tip (such as 4B) Plastic wrap
Method
STEP 1: PREPARE THE OVEN
Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F convection) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP 2: CREAM THE BUTTER
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter, caster sugar and orange zest for about 1 minute, until soft and creamy. Stop before it turns light and fluffy; extra air makes the shortbread spread and lose its crumbly texture. Scrape down the bowl once or twice.
STEP 3: MIX THE DOUGH
Add the flour and salt and mix on low for about 1 minute, just until a dough forms. Do not keep working it, as overworked dough bakes tough.
STEP 4: ROLL AND CHILL
Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 5/16 inch (8 mm) thick. Slide it onto a tray and chill for 30 minutes.
STEP 5: START THE ROYAL ICING
While the dough chills, whisk the egg whites in a clean stand-mixer bowl with the whisk attachment until frothy. Add the powdered sugar a large spoonful at a time, beating well after each addition.
STEP 6: WHISK TO STIFF PEAKS
Keep whisking on high for 5 to 8 minutes, until the icing is very stiff and glossy and holds a standing peak. If the peak droops, keep whisking; soft icing will not hold the star shape.
STEP 7: COLOR THE ICING
Divide the icing evenly among five small bowls, about 3 oz (85 g) each. Tint each one a different pastel shade (pink, yellow, peach, blue and lilac), adding the gel coloring a little at a time. Spoon each color into its own small piping bag and twist the top closed so the icing does not crust.
STEP 8: CUT THE BISCUITS
Cut about 36 rounds from the chilled dough with the 1¼-inch cutter, re-rolling the scraps once if needed, and set them on the lined baking sheet.
STEP 9: BAKE
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Leave on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack and cool completely. Leave the oven on.
STEP 10: MAKE A STRIPED ICING LOG
Lay a 6-inch-wide strip of plastic wrap on the counter. Snip each small bag to a ⅜-inch opening and pipe one long line of each color down the middle of the wrap, side by side and touching. Roll the wrap over the lines to form a striped log and twist the ends. Trim one end and drop the log, cut end first, into the large piping bag fitted with the open star tip.
STEP 11: PIPE THE GEMS
Holding the bag upright, pipe a single star rosette onto each cold biscuit, easing off the pressure before you lift away so the peak stays sharp. Return the biscuits to the lined sheet, and make more logs the same way until every biscuit is piped.
STEP 12: DRY IN THE OVEN
Turn the oven off, put the tray inside and close the door. Leave for about 30 minutes in the residual heat, until the icing is hard and has a crust when pressed. If the oven has gone cold, heat it to its lowest setting, switch it off, wait 5 minutes, then put the tray in. If your oven can hold 120°F (50°C), use that instead.
STEP 13: COOL AND STORE
Let the gems cool on the tray. Store in an airtight container in a single layer at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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Instructions
FOR THE ORANGE SHORTBREAD:
7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup (50 g) caster sugar (/interesting-ingredients/caster-sugar)(superfine sugar)
1 orange, zest only, finely grated
1¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
¼ teaspoon fine salt
FOR THE ROYAL ICING:
2 egg whites (about ¼ cup / 60 g); pasteurized egg whites can be used
3⅓ cups (400 g) powdered sugar, sifted
Gel food coloring in pastel pink, yellow, peach, blue and lilac
EQUIPMENT:
Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
Parchment paper and a baking sheet
1¼-inch round cutter
Wire rack
5 small piping bags
1 large piping bag fitted with an open star tip (such as 4B)
Plastic wrap
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: PREPARE THE OVEN
Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F convection) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP 2: CREAM THE BUTTER
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter, caster sugar and orange zest for about 1 minute, until soft and creamy. Stop before it turns light and fluffy; extra air makes the shortbread spread and lose its crumbly texture. Scrape down the bowl once or twice.
STEP 3: MIX THE DOUGH
Add the flour and salt and mix on low for about 1 minute, just until a dough forms. Do not keep working it, as overworked dough bakes tough.
STEP 4: ROLL AND CHILL
Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 5/16 inch (8 mm) thick. Slide it onto a tray and chill for 30 minutes.
STEP 5: START THE ROYAL ICING
While the dough chills, whisk the egg whites in a clean stand-mixer bowl with the whisk attachment until frothy. Add the powdered sugar a large spoonful at a time, beating well after each addition.
STEP 6: WHISK TO STIFF PEAKS
Keep whisking on high for 5 to 8 minutes, until the icing is very stiff and glossy and holds a standing peak. If the peak droops, keep whisking; soft icing will not hold the star shape.
STEP 7: COLOR THE ICING
Divide the icing evenly among five small bowls, about 3 oz (85 g) each. Tint each one a different pastel shade (pink, yellow, peach, blue and lilac), adding the gel coloring a little at a time. Spoon each color into its own small piping bag and twist the top closed so the icing does not crust.
STEP 8: CUT THE BISCUITS
Cut about 36 rounds from the chilled dough with the 1¼-inch cutter, re-rolling the scraps once if needed, and set them on the lined baking sheet.
STEP 9: BAKE
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Leave on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack and cool completely. Leave the oven on.
STEP 10: MAKE A STRIPED ICING LOG
Lay a 6-inch-wide strip of plastic wrap on the counter. Snip each small bag to a ⅜-inch opening and pipe one long line of each color down the middle of the wrap, side by side and touching. Roll the wrap over the lines to form a striped log and twist the ends. Trim one end and drop the log, cut end first, into the large piping bag fitted with the open star tip.
STEP 11: PIPE THE GEMS
Holding the bag upright, pipe a single star rosette onto each cold biscuit, easing off the pressure before you lift away so the peak stays sharp. Return the biscuits to the lined sheet, and make more logs the same way until every biscuit is piped.
STEP 12: DRY IN THE OVEN
Turn the oven off, put the tray inside and close the door. Leave for about 30 minutes in the residual heat, until the icing is hard and has a crust when pressed. If the oven has gone cold, heat it to its lowest setting, switch it off, wait 5 minutes, then put the tray in. If your oven can hold 120°F (50°C), use that instead.
STEP 13: COOL AND STORE
Let the gems cool on the tray. Store in an airtight container in a single layer at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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