Shortbread with salted egg yolks
A simple shortbread with one of my absolute favorite flavors. The salted egg yolks add a subtle richness.
Makes approximately 14 small cookies. Recipe can be doubled.
Salted eggs can vary in texture depending on if they are store-bought vs homemade, what brand, and chicken or duck. My homemade salted chicken eggs are dry and crumbly. I find that store-bought salted duck egg yolks have a softer, creamier texture. If your yolks are soft and oily, increase to use up to 80g sugar and 190g flour.
Make cookie dough
Beat 3 salted egg yolks (cook them first if they are raw) in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until they are smooth, or broken up into fine pieces.
Add 1 stick softened butter. Cream until fluffy, smooth, and incorporated.
Mix in 60g powdered sugar and 140g flour. (See note above if your yolks are softer). Mix until a dough forms, stopping occasionally to scrape the bowl.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Assemble and bake
Roll the dough on a floured surface to 1/3 inch thick. Cut out cookies with a cookie cutter. Re-roll the scraps and repeat.
Brush cookies with 1 egg yolk whisked with 1 tsp water.
Sprinkle each cookie with flaky salt.
Bake at 350° for 13 minutes, or until just beginning to brown on the edges. May take more or less time depending on the size of your cookie cutter.
Notes
Do you want to salt your own eggs? Dissolve 1 part table salt in 4 parts water (enough to submerge your eggs). Put the eggs and saltwater in big jar or lidded container and stash it away somewhere dark and cool-room-temperature. Leave it for a month – and put a reminder on your calendar so you don't forget. After a month, test one egg and if it isn't salty enough you can leave the rest for another week or two. I typically steam them with my rice or hardboil for 11 minutes. The whites should be quite salty and the yolks should have a fatty, dense texture. When they are done, remove from the saltwater, rinse, and store in the refrigerator.