Shortbread Cookies
Don't let the simplicity of this recipe deter you from trying these delicious cookies. The lightly sweet, buttery flavor makes them one of my favorite treats.
The shortbread recipe is ancient and the first written recipe for these sweet treats is attributed to a Scottish woman by the name of Mrs. McClintock who purportedly included it in a cookbook in 1736!
Shortbread Cookie Recipe
1 ¼ Cups Flour
3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
½ Cup Butter
Combine flour and sugar.
Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to
cling. Form the mixture into a ball. Knead until smooth.
To make shortbread rounds:
On a lightly floured surface roll dough until ½ inch thick. Using a 1 1/2 inch cookie cutter, cut into 24
rounds. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Variations:
Lemon Poppy Seed: Stir in 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds into
flour mixture and add 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel with the
butter.
Spiced: Substitute
brown sugar for granulated sugar and stir ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼
teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves into the flour mixture.
Lemon Lavender: Stir
in one to two Tablespoons of lemon zest with the butter. Add 2 Teaspoons of crushed, dried lavender to
flour mixture.
