Scottish Simplicity

I have tried just about every shortbread recipe on the planet.  I have made some that were decent, some that were flat out horrible and some that contained suspicious ingredients, like eggs.  What I wanted was like Walker's...that amazing stuff in the tartan package?  I finally found it. 

Here's what I've found out in my nearly 9 year quest to find the perfect shortbread recipe: shortbread should contain only three ingredients: butter, flour and sugar. Shortbread is not hard to make, but it must be made with a wee bit of patience. Shortbread must be baked low enough and long enough to brown the butter. That's where the amazing flavor comes from. Do not be afraid to let your shortbread get nice and golden.  This is good practice for figuring out your oven's quirks, because all ovens have them. 

And you're welcome in advance. :)

Shortbread

1 cup granulated sugar
4 cups flour
1 pound (4 sticks) cold salted butter, no substitutes

~Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

~In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar and flour.

~Cut the cold butter into smaller pieces and add to the flour mixture.

~Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork until you have a sandy mixture.

~Knead the mixture in the bowl until it comes together into a dough. It will start out crumbly, but it will turn into dough...be patient! This will take about 5-8 minutes.

~Knead until it just comes together. Crumble the dough into a 10x15 baking pan. Pat into the pan evenly. 

~Prick the dough all over with a fork . Cut with a knife into fingers. (I make mine into 3 long rows and then divide into 1 inch sections)

~Dust the top with granulated sugar.

~Bake for 25-40 minutes, turning the pan halfway through baking. Ovens vary wildly, so watch your shortbread. Take it out when it is a rich golden brown.

~Cut through the shortbread fingers while hot. (If you want more sugar on top, feel free to dust your shortbread again with sugar, but do it while it's hot so it will stick.) Let cool completely in the pan.

~Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place...if it lasts that long.

If Life Gives You Lemons...Bake.

Last week I was out in Bountiful and ended up at Cutlers drive through for a quick sandwich on my way home. The second to the last cookie on the menu was a lemon meltaway and I just couldn't resist. It was a lovely, melty shortbread cookie covered in lemon icing. It was a good cookie, but it was seriously lacking in the lemon pucker department.

Lemons were on sale at Sunflower Market and I was still jonesing for a good lemon meltaway, so I found this recipe and made some for my husband to take to his work potluck. They are tasty and tart little things, with a fabulous tangy, buttery, lemon infused frosting. Definitely lemon enough!

The original recipe is from Land O' Lakes butter, but after making them, I thought the recipe needed some tweaking... I felt the shortbread needed to be a little bit sweeter and with their instructions I ended up with big chunks of cornstarch in the dough that left crunchy spots in my cookies and made them stick to the cookie sheets. The purpose of the cornstarch in this recipe is to add an extra crumbly/melty ratio to the cookie, so it should be mixed in thoroughly. So I've added a little extra sugar and cut back the cornstarch just a little, and added an extra sifting/whisking step to help get the cornstarch lumps out before you start mixing.

Also, the recipe didn't make enough of the fabulous frosting for all the darling little cookies. The frosting is what sets these apart from your normal little powdered sugar meltaways, so I suggest making an extra half batch to frost all your cookies. And don't be afraid to try swapping out the lemon for lime or orange!

Lemon Meltaways

1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel

~Sift together the flour, cornstarch and powdered sugar (I just run mine through a fine sieve), whisk together completely with a wire whisk.
~Put the butter, lemon juice and lemon peel in a mixing bowl.
~Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until well mixed, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. The mixture should come together into a dough.
~Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 8x1 inch log. Roll the log into a piece of waxed paper to wrap. Put the logs in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
~Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
~Cut each log into 1/4 inch slices using a sharp knife. Put the cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart.
~Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until cookies are set. (They will not brown.)
~Cool cookies completely, then frost with Lemon Butter Frosting.

Lemon Butter Frosting

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon juice

~Mix all ingredients together on medium speed until fluffy. (I added a little more powdered sugar to make my icing thicker.)
~You may want to make an extra half batch, since this wasn't quite enough for all the cookies.

Makes about 4 Dozen