Scottish Shortbread

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups cold unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Recipe

• 1 set oven rack to middle position.
• 2 preheat oven to 275°f.
• 3 have two ungreased 8-inch cake pans ready.
• 4 food processor method.
• 5 cut the butter into 1-inch cubes, wrap it, and refrigerate.
• 6 process the sugars for 1 minute or so, until the sugar is very fine.
• 7 add the butter and pulse until the sugar disappears.
• 8 add the flour and pulse until there are a lot of moist, crumbly little pieces and no dry flour particles remain.
• 9 dump the mixture into a plastic bag and press it together.
• 10 remove the dough from the plastic bag and knead it lightly until it holds together.
• 11 electric mixer or by hand.
• 12 use superfine granulated sugar for the best texture and be sure to soften the butter.
• 13 in a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars.
• 14 in a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy.
• 15 with your fingers or with the electric mixer, mix in the flour until the mixture holds together.
• 16 if using the mixer, add the flour in 2 parts.
• 17 for both methods.
• 18 divide the dough into 2 equal parts.
• 19 pat each half into an ungreased 8-inch round cake pan.
• 20 use the tines of a fork to press 3/4-inch lines radiating like rays of sun all around the perimeter of the dough.
• 21 prick the rest of the dough all over with the tines of the fork.
• 22 (this keeps the shortbread even and creates the traditional design).
• 23 bake for 60-70 minutes or until pale golden (do not brown).
• 24 for even baking, rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking period.
• 25 cool in the pans, on a wire rack, for 10 minutes.
• 26 invert the shortbread onto flat cookie sheet and slide it onto a cutting board.
• 27 while still warm, use a long sharp knife to cut each 8-inch round of shortbread into 8 pie-shaped wedges.
• 28 transfer the wedges to wire racks to cool completely.