BASIC SHORTBREAD

Combine in stand mixer: 

10 oz butter, room temperature, cubed

1 c powdered sugar (sift or whisk first if it’s clumpy)

1 tsp salt (coarse kosher)

2 tsp vanilla

Don’t overbeat, some small butter bits/streaks should still be visible.

Add: 

3 c all-purpose flour

Mix until just comes together. Add more vanilla if needed. Use your hands to fold together a few times if there are still some dry spots.

Press or roll out, or scoop out. If you want a thicker, more rustic shortbread you can press or roll out and bake right away. If you want to do a rolled cut-out cookie, I like to let it rest for a bit in the fridge and then roll out between a couple sheets of floured parchment. (You can also make ahead and chill to back a couple of days later.)

Bake at 350’ until nice a golden brown on the bottom and just beginning to show some color on the edge. (As always, baking times depend on thickness and size of cookie and how soft or crunchy you want your cookies. I like some versions of this shortbread thick, like 1/2” and on the softer side, so I bake those around 8 minutes, rotate, bake another 5-10 minutes. When I roll this dough out thin, like 1/8-1/4” and cut into shapes, even though I like those a little crispier, they’ll bake faster. So start with 6 minutes, rotate your pans, and go for another 4-6 minutes or so.

flavor options: 

*seeds from 1 vanilla bean + double vanilla

*1 ½ tsp ground chipotle + 3/4 c chocolate chips (chopped). (I like this version rolled a little thicker and cut into chubby squares, or scooped out with a mini scoop.)

* replace ½ c of powdered sugar with brown sugar, add 1 T cinnamon

and my favorite:

*1 T lavender, crushed lightly in the palm of your hand, zest of 1 lemon and 1 Tablespoon or so fresh rosemary. (I like to chop the rosemary up a bit.) This makes a really lovely rolled out cookie, rolled a little thin and baked until golden brown on the bottom and just barely at the edge.