VANILLA AND CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD BIRDHOUSES
Makes 36 to 44 square and round cookies, or enough to build 3 structures with extras
INGREDIENTS
For the vanilla shortbread
• 12 tablespoons (1 1⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 1⁄4 cup white rice flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
For the chocolate shortbread
• 12 tablespoons (1 1⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 1⁄4 cup white rice flour
• 1⁄2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona Cocoa Powder or King Arthur black cocoa (may substitute Guittard Cocoa Rouge Cocoa Powder)
• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour For assembly
• 3 ounces pasteurized egg whites (see headnote)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• White sanding sugar
Combine the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, nutmeg, if using, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer; beat on medium-low speed until smooth. Do not overmix, or too much air will be whipped into the dough, causing the cookies to spread as they bake. Stop to scrape down the bowl.
Add the egg, beating on low speed just until incorporated, then add the white rice flour and all-purpose flour; beat just until there’s no trace of dry flour left and a firm dough gathers into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners.
Roll out the dough between 2 large sheets of parchment or wax paper to a thickness of 1⁄4 inch. Cut out at least 6 plain- edged square cookies and 6 small round cookies, transferring them to the baking sheets as you work and spacing the cookies at least 1 inch apart. On the baking sheet, use your thumb and forefinger to pinch half of the round cookies into a slight bird shape ( kind of like a Twitter bird).
For the chocolate shortbread: Combine the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer; beat on medium-low speed until smooth. Do not overmix, or too much air will be whipped into the dough, causing the cookies to spread as they bake. Stop to scrape down the bowl.
Add the egg, beating on low speed just until incorporated, then add the white rice flour, unsweetened cocoa powder and all-purpose flour; beat just until there’s no trace of dry flour left and a firm dough gathers into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two or three baking