Scottish Shortbread Cookies

Since it has been raining here in DC it has cooled off a bit.  Yesterday morning it was 65 degrees.  Perfect to read the paper and drink my coffee before work.  The only thing missing was the perfect accompaniment to coffee.  Shortbread cookies.  So today, I made some light and fluffy shortbread cookies. 

This recipe creates one of the easiests cookies I have ever made.

Scottish Shortbread – (adapted from Joy of Cooking)

• 10 tbs softened butter - (1 1/4 sticks)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cake flour – Sold in boxes in the flour aisle so it can be hard to find

Cook at 300 for 45-50 minutes

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the butter, powdered sugar, sugar and salt into a bowl or the bowl of your mixer.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. 

While the butter and sugar is creaming, sift your flour.  You can use a sifter but I find that a mesh strainer works just as good.  It also has the added benefit of being a multi-tasker.   This step can be skipped but the texture of the cookies will suffer.

Slowly pour the flour into the mixer and mix on medium/low until the flour is fully incorporated.  If all of the flour fails to incorporate you can add a few drops of water to moisten the dough.  The final dough will not completely form a ball on its own.  It should have the texture of playdough.

Then press it evenly into a 8in square pan or shortbread molds.  There is no need to grease the pan as the dough is almost pure butter.  So much so, that Paula Deen would be smiling ear to ear reading this recipe.

 Next I used a fork to create a decorative pattern in the dough to distinguish my awesome shortbreads from other run of the mill shortbreads.  This step can also be skipped but I am all about individuality.  I mean look at my characture above. 

Place in the center rack of the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes.  Bake until the shortbread is slightly tinged gold and the edges are slightly darker than the rest of the shortbread.  When done remove to a cooling rack.  Wait about 5 minute until the shortbread is slightly warm and gently score the surface to make the outlines of the bars.  At this time you can also add more sugar to the top.  I think that they are sweat enough, but if by chance Paula Deen is coming over sprinkle them with a little sugar.  Who doesn’t love a little sugar.

Once completely cooled cut through the score lines to create the individual cookies.  They are perfect with milk, coffee or heated and served with vanilla icecream and a little strawberry syrup.

These tasted amazing.  I can’t wait to go to bed, so that I can wake up and have the shortbread cookies with coffee.