Shortbread Done Right Reload-Learn to Cook Series

The previous recipe is still OK, but when I went to print this for my hubby, I realized that there are some spelling and grammar mistakes in the previous version.  I also added another trick to the process.  This is now added to the Learn to Cook Series™

Tips & Tricks

Ingredient Tips
Shortbread recipes are pretty simple, but there are a few techniques that make them great. The first thing is to start with good "Butter"; real butter. Margarine is noticeably different. This is not a recipe that you will make if you are worried about calories. This is a simple indulgence, and very tasty.

The second secret to really flaky, great textured shortbread is rice flour. My recipe is made with one cup of flour, and it does pretty well with just all-purpose flour. By substituting 1/4 cup of rice flour as part of the one cup flour, the texture is improved greatly.

Flour Freshness is important to this delicately flavored recipe. Because there aren't many ingredients in the recipe the rancid taste of old flour will stand out, you need to be sure that the flour is fresh. One of my favorite tricks for keeping flour fresher longer is storing it in the refrigerator. I put it in a glass or PBA safe plastic canister. PBA safe plastic is simple, play by the numbers, use containers with recycling numbers of #1, 2 or 4 and avoid the others.

Utensil Tips
I use the Brown Bag Shortbread Pans. These have proven to be outstanding for shortbread, and you can put them in the dishwasher, what a time savings. Most of the shortbread pans have intricate designs, and trying to wash them by hand proves to be very difficult. A pie plate will also work for this, but does not give the same browning on the bottom.

Do not try to process this with a mixer; I don't care how fancy it is. For one thing it makes the dough texture coarser, and for another the dough doesn't come together as nicely; quite a lot of unnecessary cleaning also. This is sooo easy to do by hand. All there is to clean is a bowl, spoon, and pan. Oh yeah, and a measuring spoon.

Ingredients

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter at room temperature

¹/₃ Cup Powdered Sugar

¼ teaspoon Vanilla-I prefer Watkins Double Strength Extract

¾ Cup All Purpose Flour-Make sure it is fresh with no rancid aroma-I like King Aurthur.

¼ Cup Rice Flour-Fresh with no rancid aroma-Bob's Redmill is what I use.

1/8 teaspoon of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Spray Brown Bag shortbread pan with nonstick cooking spray; be sure you get good coverage of the surface so you don't have a sticking problem. Make sure the spray is fresh and doesn't have a rancid smell. Using any other method to grease the Brown Bag pan may result in areas of poor coverage due to the patterns in the pan. A pie plate can be greased anyway you want.

In a small mixing bowl cream the powdered sugar, and butter together.

Add the vanilla to the butter & sugar, and mix thoroughly.

Add the flour and work it into the butter mixture. When it starts coming together I dump it into a bit of plastic wrap, and fold up two sides and press the dough together, give the wrap and dough a quarter turn and press again.  I pull the wrap off the dough and repeat until the dough is in a ball that doesn't fall apart ¹.  Then I just pick it up in my hands and knead it by folding it in half, and squeezing it together; then in half again and squeeze. I keep doing the fold/squeeze until I have nice smooth dough. This can take a few minutes to do right. I've been known to walk into the living room to check on the TV while kneading the dough. :) You can use conventional kneading methods on a floured board, but my texture is lighter because I'm not incorporating additional flour into mine.

Place the dough ball into the center of the pan. Press it out to the sides of the pan, try to maintain and even layer. I make sure that I press all cracks from the edges of the dough. Prick the dough with a fork all over, to allow steam to escape from the bottom of the pan.

Place in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

When it comes out of the oven I run a knife around the edge of my pan to loosen the shortbread. I place a dinner size plate over the top of the shortbread pan, and flip both of them over. The shortbread will probably just drop out of the pan, but if it doesn't, wrap the plant and pan on the counter, and it will drop out. If you didn't get enough nonstick spray, then some may stick in the pan.

I cut mine on the cut lines of my pan design, which is 8 pieces as soon as it comes out of the pan. A pie plate works for this also, and you can cut that into 8 pieces as well. Cutting it immediately make a much nicer presentation than when it cools more. If it is cold, all you get is a bunch of crumbs, and that looks, well...crumby.

This is so simple, and so good. I make this when I deserve an indulgent treat. My poor skinny hubby would like it more often, but my health just won't handle that, and I can't eat just one. I'd be willing to bet that most people would have trouble just eating one piece.

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I hope you enjoy.

Namaste