Every year, SCARC hosts the “Taste of the ‘Chives” event, historically held in October during Archives Month. This event features recipes from our collections, some tasty and some not so much. The event is being moved to Winter Term to coincide with the OSU Food Drive.
But, in honor of Archives Month and as a teaser for the Taste of the ‘Chives event, we are making recipes that were featured during the 10th annual Taste of the ‘Chives in 2015.
1 ½ cups butter
1 ⅓ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups pastry flour
Cream butter, gradually add sifted confectioners’ sugar and cream thoroughly. Add vanilla and sifted pastry flour. Mix well and roll out on slightly floured board to about three-eighths inch in thickness. Cut in fancy shapes with a floured cookie cutter. The dough has a tendency to fall apart and must be handled gently and quickly. Prick each shortbread with a fork, decorate with bits of candied fruits and with grains of puffed rice. Lift onto a greased cookie sheet with a pancake turner and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or about thirty-five minutes. Serve with tea.
I personally love shortbread, or other not-overly-sweet cookies, with a cup of tea. Like Walker’s Shortbread or Anna’s Ginger Swedish Thins. So this recipe really appealed to me. Plus, I liked that it did not include specialized ingredients I don’t already have in my pantry or could easily substitute. I do not have pastry flour, but you can substitute two tablespoons of cornstarch and the rest with flour for each cup.
The most challenging part of this recipe was rolling the dough out to the right thickness and choosing which cutters to use. The dough was a little crumbly when I first took it out of the bowl, but it was easily mashed together before rolling. I decided to try three different cookie cutters: 1.5-inch round, cat, and bear. The recipe mentions topping with candied fruits and puffed rice. I did not have either, so I put a few sprinkles on a couple to try. I do not feel that it added much to the overall taste and texture.
The first sheet I baked for the full 35 minutes, which was a little too long. The shortbreads were brown and had, not a burned taste, but certainly a taste of being more cooked. The second sheet, I baked for about 25 minutes before checking. These came out the more golden-blond color I was wanting. Using cookie cutters that had smaller sections (tail and ears for cat, and head and legs for bear) meant those sections got a little more cooked. This wasn’t a problem, but something to be aware of in selecting shapes.
These shortbreads were delicious with a cup of tea! Whether they were hot out of the oven or room temperature, they were a nice compliment.
For those who did the math, yes we will be celebrating the 20th Taste of the ‘Chives in February 2026. We hope to see you there!
