Chip Carving Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies are made more delightful and delicious when you use a chip carved cookie press to added delectable design.

Chip Carved Shortbread Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup confectioner sugar
1 cup regular sugar
1 jumbo egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon anise extract – optional1/2 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups flour
6 tablespoons anise seeds
Vegetable oil in a small bowl

Directions

1.  With an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla.
2.  Add salt and one half of the flour.
3.  Add the remaining flour, mixing by hand.
4.  Cut the dough into two portions.  Wrap in wax paper and chili in the freezer for ten minutes.
5.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6.  Using a mortar and pestal, crush the anise seeds.
7.  Brush the chip carved cookie press with vegetable oil, allow the oil to soak into the wood.
8.  Roll a large walnut sized ball of cookie dough in your hands.  Roll the bottom half of the dough ball in the crushed anise seeds.  Place the ball, seed-side down on wax paper.  Push the dough ball into a 1/4″ thick disc using the chip carved cookie press.  Tap the side of the press on the counter to release the cookie.
9.  Place the cookie on the baking sheet with 1/4″ space between cookies.
10.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from the cookie sheet to a rack and allow to cool.

Cleaning Your Chip Carved Cookie Presses

Using a mild solution of dish washing soap and a synthetic bristle brush, lightly scrub any remaining cookie dough from the wooden press.  Rinse well in clean water.  Dry the press using a dry, clean cloth.  Allow the press to dry for one hour.  You can apply a light coat of cooking oil to the press to re-freshen the finish, making it ready to use for your next batch of cookies.

Options

You can use 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg in place of the crushed anise seeds.

Learn Chip Carving

Chip Carving Seminar
Chip Carving Supplies
Chip Carving Graphed Patterns
Chip Carving Hand Positions and Grips
Chip Carving – Triangles and Square Chips
Chip Carving – Straight-Wall Chips
Chip Caved Game and Chess Board
Chip Carving Sampler Pattern Layout
Chip Carved Shortbread Cookies

An in-depth, step-by-step instructions to chip carving can be discovered in Lora Irish’s Chip Carving Seminar. Chip carving is a form of wood carving that uses simple geometric and free form cuts to create intricate designs.  These cookie presses were created using 3″ x 3″ x 3/8″ basswood and 1″ x 1″ x 3″ basswood blocks, available at most large hardware stores.

1.  Using a fine toothed saw, cut the 3/8″ thick basswood into 3″ squares.  Sand lightly using 320-grit sandpaper.
2.  Print a copy of your favorite chip carving motif.  Using removable spray adhesive, adhere the paper pattern to the square.
3.  With a large chip carving knife, cut the chip carving motif.
4.  Remove the paper pattern from the basswood square.
5.  Using your chip carving knife, round over two long sides of the 1″ x 1″ x 3″ basswood block. Sand using 320-grit sandpaper.
6.  Using wood glue, adhere the 1″ x 1″ x 3″ block to the top-side of the basswood chip carved square to create a handle.  Allow the glue to dry overnight before use.

It takes about one hour or less to create a chip carved cookie press.  They are quick, unique, hand-crafted gifts and craft show items.  Print a copy of the recipe above to include with your chip carvings.

Please note that if you are making chip carved cookie presses as a gift or resale product, do not apply an oil finish to the wood.  Leave your presses in the raw wood stage, allowing the recipient to use their favorite cooking oil.

Click for the full-sized printable pattern.