Sometimes everything comes together at once: an idea, the right ingredients, and the perfect moment. This is one of those times.
I had just finished making a silky chocolate custard when a friend began raving about the best shortbread cookies she’d ever baked. I wished aloud for a couple to dunk in my custard and asked for the recipe.
Lightbulb.
I decided to make cookies shaped like spoons so I could scoop and dunk my custard without any extra dishware. Were they cookies or spoons? Both—Spookies*.
*Think spork, but sweeter.
I pictured them wrapped in cellophane with a bow for a bake sale, bagged for a hostess gift, and of course used for dunking: custard (my favorite), Spanish-style hot chocolate, coffee, hot cocoa, pudding—Spookies are versatile.
I tweaked my friend’s shortbread recipe just a bit: orange zest instead of lemon (that was what I had on hand) and substituting half of the all-purpose flour with rice flour. The rice flour trick came from an elderly Scottish baker who swore that shortbread made with a half-and-half blend of all-purpose and rice flour and real butter turned out superior—more delicate in crumb and flavor.
To test it, I made two batches: one with all all-purpose flour and one with the all-purpose/rice flour mix. Both were excellent, but the rice flour version was noticeably more tender. Half the tasters favored the rice flour batch and half preferred the straight all-purpose version; everyone agreed they’d happily eat either. If you can find rice flour, try it as written. If not, simply use an extra cup (4 1/4 ounces by weight) of all-purpose flour—still delicious.
Note: I don’t know of commercially available spoon-shaped cookie cutters, so I made my own. I bent a bell-shaped, medium-sized (2″) metal cutter into a spoon-ish shape with pliers. It looked a little wonky but worked well. If you prefer not to alter a cutter, trace a tablespoon measuring spoon onto cardboard and use the cutout as a template to cut the dough with a sharp paring knife.
Shortbread Cookie Spoons
Gently adapted from Krysta, Evil Chef Mom.
Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!
- 2 sticks (8 ounces, by weight) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pats
- 1/2 cup superfine sugar (make by pulsing granulated sugar in a blender on HIGH for ~20 seconds)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of 1/2 an orange
- 1 cup (4 1/4 ounces, by weight) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (5 ounces, by weight) white rice flour
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup raw sugar or granulated sugar (preferably bourbon-infused)
In a small bowl, whisk the two flours together and set aside.
Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat the butter on medium-high until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and, with the mixer running, gradually add the superfine sugar, then the vanilla, orange zest, and salt. Mix until the mixture lightens slightly in color.
Turn the mixer off and add about one-third of the flour blend. Mix on low until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl, add the next third of the flour blend, mix on low, scrape again, then add the final third and mix until the dough comes together into a fairly cohesive mass.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead four times until smooth. Dust the top with flour and gently roll the dough to an even thickness between 1/4″ and 1/3″.
Line two cookie sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper and set aside.
Use your spoon-shaped cutter or trace your cardboard template and cut the shapes from the dough. Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gather scraps, gently press them back together, roll, and cut until all the dough is used.
Chill the cookie sheets in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. When the oven is hot, place one sheet on each rack. Bake for about 15 minutes total, rotating the trays front-to-back and top-to-bottom after 7 minutes, until the edges are just golden brown. Remove the trays and immediately sprinkle the hot cookies with the raw or granulated sugar. Allow cookies to cool completely on the pans.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature—these cookies actually improve with age.
Want bourbon and vanilla infused sugar? I shared that recipe separately—it’s lovely stirred into coffee, sprinkled over cookies, or used wherever you’d use sugar. Try it if you like!
Shortbread Cookie Spoons (Spookies)
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter — 8 ounces by weight, softened to room temperature, cut 1/2-inch pats
- 1/2 cup superfine sugar (make by blending granulated sugar on HIGH for ~20 seconds)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1/2 an orange
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour — 4 1/4 ounces by weight
- 1 cup white rice flour — 5 ounces by weight
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup raw sugar or granulated sugar (preferably bourbon-infused)
Instructions
- Whisk together the flours in a small bowl and set aside. Prepare a spoon template from cardboard or bend a medium metal cookie cutter into a spoon shape if desired.
- Beat the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high until smooth, about 1 minute. Lower speed to low and add superfine sugar gradually, then vanilla, orange zest, and salt. Mix until slightly lighter in color. Add the flour blend in three additions, mixing on low and scraping the bowl between additions, until the dough holds together.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly four times until smooth. Dust dough with flour and roll to 1/4″–1/3″ thickness.
- Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Cut spoon shapes and transfer to sheets, spacing 1″ apart. Recombine scraps, reroll, and cut until all dough is used. Chill sheets for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Bake one sheet per rack for about 15 minutes total, rotating trays front-to-back and top-to-bottom after 7 minutes, until edges are just golden. Immediately sprinkle hot cookies with the raw or granulated sugar. Cool completely on the pans.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature; the cookies improve with age.