Great-Aunt Annie's Traditional Shortbread
- nonstick cooking spray
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 34 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 12 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour, sifted (not self-rising)
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar (sanding)
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Spray a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar.
- Stir in vanilla.
- With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour.
- Mix until well combined.
- Evenly spread cookie dough into prepared tart pan.
- Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Sprinkle shortbread with sanding sugar.
- Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, make a shallow cut in the center of the dough.
- Using the tines of a fork, score dough from the edge of the circle in the center towards the edge of the pan into 12 equal wedges.
- Transfer tart pan to oven and bake until light brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the shortbread comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
- Immediately re-score circle and wedges with cookie cutter and the tines of a fork.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 1 hour.
- Remove shortbread from tart pan and let cool completely.
- Cut into wedges with a serrated knife along the scored lines.
nonstick cooking spray, unsalted butter, confectioners, vanilla, cake flour, coarse sugar
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/great-aunt-annies-traditional-shortbread-225885 (may not work)