Ukrainian St. Nicholas Shortbread

Traditional shortbread for use in Ukrainian wooden molds. These lovely molds are hand-carved by Vladimir Markar'yan in Poltava, Ukraine. They are available on Etsy and are the easiest to use mold I've found.

Ukrainian St. Nicholas Shortbread

1½ cups butter
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
3½-4 cups all-purpose flour

Cream butter, sugar, and almond extract in large bowl on low speed.
Stir in 1½ cups of flour, ½ cup at a time. Mix well.
Beat until light and fluffy, continuing to add flour, another ½-2 cups, until dough is solid enough to knead.
Transfer to well-floured work surface (use flour not yet added to dough). Shape dough into ball, refrigerate if not baking immediately.

Tips for making molded cookies with cookie boards

Prepare mold by using a pastry brush to paint the cavity with cooking oil (blot with paper towel, if needed). Then thoroughly flour mold; knock off excess flour.

Handle dough with floured hands. Take a piece of dough (about 1/2 cup) and work into mold from the bottom up. Smooth and remove excess with a straight edge narrow spatula or knife (an extra large cheese slicer works very well). more tips

Bang one end of the the mold sharply on the ungreased cookie sheet where you want the cookie to be. It will drop out nicely—the weight of the cookie will pull the last part out. Thoroughly flour mold again, banging out the excess, before shaping each succeeding cookie.

Bake 350° 15 - 20 minutes or until edges are slightly brown and the middle of cookie is firm to the touch. Cool on wire rack. Baking time depends on size and thickness of cookie. Makes 9-11 molded cookies, depending on size of molds.