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the challenge dairy holiday shortbread challenge! win a year’s worth of free butter!
I can’t tell you all how excited I am!
A few weeks ago, I had this idea that it would be fun to get together with some other food bloggers and challenge them to take a list of ingredients and their measurements, and then just see what they would come up with.
When Challenge Dairy started following me on twitter, I thought how fun it would be to get them involved with my idea somehow. They are a California based Dairy, and I’ve been using their butter over the years. It’s my favorite brand.
Here’s the scoop:
The Challenge Dairy Shortbread Challenge
Win a year’s supply of butter from Challenge Dairy!*
Here’s what you have to do:
Simply take ingredients in my basic shortbread recipe, then make it your own!
2 sticks butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
You can add in whatever you like, roll it out, cut it out, press it into a pan, or bake it up however you want. When you have made your shortbread, take a photograph, and post it on your blog along with the recipe that includes what you added, baking time, temperature, etc and a link back to sophistimom.com and Challenge Dairy. Then post a comment on this contest blog post, stating the name of your shortbread recipe, with a link to your entry post on your own blog.
All entries must be posted in the comments by December 18th at midnight.
Entries will be judged on creativity, flavor, and visual presentation. The winner will receive a year’s supply of butter from Challenge Dairy.
Although a purchase is not required, all valid entries must include a link somewhere in the post to Challenge Dairy’s website. Here is the link: http://www.challengedairy.com. The site has recipes, and a $.50-off coupon!
The winner will be selected on December 22nd and will be awarded the prize and will have their recipe featured right here on sophistimom.com.
*If the selected winner is outside of the Challenge Dairy market (see website for all states that sell the butter), that person will be awarded with a $50 cash gift card.
Now I know you’re all busy. Very busy. I am too (In fact, I imagine some of you may have noticed I promised a post on how to roast a turkey, and a pumpkin creme caramel. Ooops! I’ll post them as soon as I can!).
But you see, I have some reasons why our little contest is going to work for you.
1. You don’t have to think that hard. I have the ingredients listed for you. All you have to come up with is some interesting flavors to add, and how you want to bake it. Shortbread is so versatile, and it has no eggs, so while you’re contemplating what to add, you and your kids can eat the dough.
2. You’ll have something to post about. Isn’t it tricky to come up with new content when you’re busy?
3. You’ll probably be making cookies for the holidays anyway.
4. This will give you some more traffic on your blog. And hey, you might win some free butter!
If you want to see some examples of what I have done with this recipe in the past, you can click here for my chocolate dipped macadamia nut shortbread, or here for my cranberry orange shortbread stars.
You see? The possibilities are endless!
So get baking, and best of luck!
Here is the recipe for the shortbread wedges you see in the picture. Maybe this will give you some inspiration.
classic shortbread wedges
2 sticks (224g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (126g) sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (300g) all purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Isn’t that pretty butter? You could win some of that!
Add in sugar and salt and cream until light and fluffy.
Slowly add in flour and mix until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl when necessary.
2. Press into a 9 inch cake pan lined with parchment paper. Smooth out with an offset spatula.
Score and dock.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until light brown around the edges.
Jaime – We are HUGE fans of your blog and we’re so excited that we had a chance to work with you on this. Can’t wait to see what everyone makes!!
O.K., I’m going to put this on my “to do” list, and my calendar!
This is a great idea and will be alot of fun. Thanks for the opportunity and I love Challenge butter. It is my favorite of all that is out there.
Very cool, Jaime!
Wow! I guess I know what I’ll be baking this weekend!
Oh, yeah! I don’t supposed we could enter multiple times if we have more than one idea, huh?
I have never entered a food making contest before, but this one is so easy that I think I might even be able to do it!
I’ll have to see if I can come up with something. 
Thank you for this chance, it’s a fabulous idea and sounds like fun! 
And thank you Challenge Dairy for your generous Gift! 
Blessings!
~Miss Rachel~
I have a question for you if you don’t mind…
Would you like us to keep this exact shape for the shortbread, or can we get creative with that too?
I let my friends know about this opportunity. I have some friends who enjoy baking, and I thought this would be fun to try out together!
Even if we don’t win, we’ll be making memories and becoming more experienced cooks right? 
Thank you!
~Miss Rachel~
Sorry to ask so many questions, but what is it that you are using to poke the holes in the shortbread above, please?
Blessings!
~Miss Rachel~
@Rachel You can make the dough into any shape you want. All that we are asking to be the same is the ingredients. That way the judging will go a lot quicker.
You can be as creative as you want after you make the dough. Any shape, size, color, whatever!
The thing I used to make the dots is actually an infant ibuprofen syringe.
Jaime, still using the same ingredients, can I alter the amounts? This is a great contest. Thanks.
FUN! I made mine last night and posted it on my blog today! they were yummy. I made Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread. You can check it out at http://www.Lifeinthejohnsoncircus.blogspot.com
Tina
Here is my entry in the contest: Blue Cheese Currant Shortbread Rounds.
http://wiseanticsoflife.blogspot.com/2009/12/blue-cheese-currant-shortbread-rounds.html
I had a great time with this and hope you will have more of these challenges, even if they are just for fun.
Wow! Some of the entries are already coming in! This is so FUN!!!!
Tina’s look scrumptiously decadent, and Kristen’s sounds so good. I never even thought of doing a savory one. Can’t wait to try these! And keep the entries coming.
I don’t know if Challenge Dairy objects, but I’m okay with entering more than once. Hey, keep buying butter, I say! And as far as the proportions of ingredients go, the basic recipe needs to be in the ratios listed above, but the recipe can be doubled, or halved.
Thanks everybody, and I can’t wait to see what everyone else comes up with!
The more shortbread recipes the better! We’d love to see multiple entries!
Thank you very much for answering my questions! I can’t wait to get started!
Blessings!
~Miss Rachel~
[...] flavor. I knew it would be hard to capture that flavor in the pastry cream, so I took the base recipe that Sophistimom provided for the contest and added the zest of one orange to it. The pastry cream [...]
Hi! I’m so excited! Here’s my first entry (more to come if I find time!)
Orange Shortbread Cookies with Earl Grey Cream
http://butteredblasphamy.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/orange-shortbread-cookies-earl-grey-cream/
I’d love to do this, but I have so many things to post that I’m not sure I can get it made & posted by Dec. 18th! I’ll do my best…
I am definitely doing this! Great challenge!
Alright, here’s my entry!
I had soo much fun trying this out! Thank you for the opportunity! 
I did make another one for a second entry, but I had a few complications…so I might try again if I can get in the time to do it. 
Zesty Lemon Shortbread Cookies with Zesty Lemon Glaze
http://younghomemakers.blogspot.com/2009/12/baking-contest-my-lemon-shortbread.html
Blessings and Merry Christmas!
~Miss Rachel~
I decided to do a second entry. Butterscotch Shortbread. You can find my second entry at http://www.lifeinthejohnsoncircus.blogspot.com
thanks for the opportunity. I have had a lot of fun comming up with shortbread variations.
Tina
I just wanted to let you know that I had typed in the wrong amount of sugar for the shortbread recipe I submitted, but I fixed it on my blog.
Sorry about that! Ooops! 
Thanks!
Blessings!
~Miss Rachel~
Alrighty. Here’s my entry…
Nutella Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
Great challenge!
Alrighty. Here’s my entry…
Nutella Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
Great challenge!
[...] on this shortbread recipe. I had so much fun thinking of something I’d want to do for the shortbread challenge offered up by Jaime at Sophistimom and Challenge Dairy that I’m inspired to do it all over [...]
My entry: Gingered Orange Shortbread
This was fun. Thanks, Jaime, for hosting!
I de3cided on another one! ;D This is just too much fun!
Toffee Shortbread Squares/Diamonds
http://younghomemakers.blogspot.com/2009/12/baking-contest-recipe-2-toffee.html
Thanks!
Merry Christ-mas!
~Miss Rachel~
[...] Almond Coconut Shortbread Cookies (half recipe, makes 8 wedges) | Adapted from Sophistimom (Original recipe in black, my additions in [...]
Hi! Down to the wire, here’s my second entry!
Sesame almond coconut shortbread cookies:
http://butteredblasphamy.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/sesame-almond-coconut-shortbread-cookies/
Happy Holidays!