Scotch Shortbread
A common first step in cookie recipes, creaming aerates the butter, resulting in cookies with a light, tender texture. To cream butter, beat it with an electric mixer or wooden spoon until it expands, lightens in color, and becomes soft and smooth. This should take 3 to 4 minutes with a mixer or longer by hand. Then add the sugar and beat until the grains are completely incorporated. Test by rubbing the mixture between your thumb and forefinger; it should feel smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once during creaming to blend the ingredients evenly.
Ingredients:
- 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room
temperature - 1⁄4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 Tbs. for
sprinkling - 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⁄4 tsp. salt
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 300°F.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on high speed until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the confectioners' sugar and the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and continue beating until the mixture is no longer gritty when rubbed between your thumb and finger. Beat in the vanilla.
Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon just until blended.
Using floured fingertips, press the dough evenly into an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with the 1 Tbs. granulated sugar.
Bake the shortbread until the edges are golden, about 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately use a thin, sharp knife to cut the shortbread into strips 3 inches by 1 inch. Use a toothpick or the tines of a fork to decorate the shortbread with a pattern of dots. Let the strips cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes before transferring them to the rack to cool completely.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on high speed until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the confectioners' sugar and the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and continue beating until the mixture is no longer gritty when rubbed between your thumb and finger. Beat in the vanilla.
Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon just until blended.
Using floured fingertips, press the dough evenly into an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with the 1 Tbs. granulated sugar.
Bake the shortbread until the edges are golden, about 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately use a thin, sharp knife to cut the shortbread into strips 3 inches by 1 inch. Use a toothpick or the tines of a fork to decorate the shortbread with a pattern of dots. Let the strips cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes before transferring them to the rack to cool completely.
Adapted from
Williams-Sonoma Collection Series,
Cookies,
by Marie Simmons
(Simon & Schuster, 2002).