Recently, we saw a box of shortbread cookies “on sale” at the supermarket for nearly $6. Sure, they were cut into cute little shapes, but seriously. Six dollars?
The most expensive item in this recipe is the butter, but the truth is, you probably already have it — and the rest of the ingredients — in your kitchen now, which means your tab for this recipe would come in around zero.
Scottish Shortbread
Adapted from “The Joy of Cooking.” Makes 36 bars.
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons (1 1/4sticks) butter, softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 300. Blend butter, sugars and salt on medium speed until very fluffy. Gradually sift flour over the top while stirring. Lightly knead until well blended and smooth. If the dough is too dry to hold together, sprinkle a few drops of water over it. Firmly press the dough into an 8×8-inch baking pan to form a smooth, even layer. Pierce the dough deeply with a fork all over. Bake until the shortbread is faintly tinged with pale gold and just slightly darker at the edges, 45-50 minutes. Remove the pan to a rack and let cool until barely warm. Cut almost through the dough to form bars. (Or, score into cute little shapes.) Let stand until completely cool. Gently retrace the cuts and separate into bars.
