Brown Sugar Shortbread
Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr, Jan Gautro, Leigh Ann Ross
Rich shortbread is easy to prepare and keeps for several days in an airtight container. Softened butter should be pliable but not easily spreadable. Using light brown sugar yields sweet treats with caramel notes. These double easily; just bake each batch separately for the best results.
How to Make It
Step 1
Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
Step 2
Place brown sugar and butter in a medium bowl; mix with hands until combined. Add flour mixture, and mix with hands until combined. Sprinkle dough with 1 1/2 teaspoons ice water; knead dough lightly 4 times or just until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 325°.
Step 4
Place dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; press dough into an 8 x 5–inch rectangle about 3/8-inch thick. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork. Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or just until set and edges are golden. Cut shortbread into 24 pieces. Cool completely.
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Julie21's Review
These are delicious and so easy to make. I use cookie cutters to make them into holiday shapes and give them away as favors wrapped in cellophane with a ribbon.
Terrylady1's Review
I made this cookie over the weekend and was very impressed with the results. very easy to make! I am going to make this again and add chopped pecans.
CoffeeCarrie's Review
I just didn't like how these tasted... they tasted burnt (although they weren't). I definitely won't make this recipe again.
skspillman's Review
This shortbread is easy to make and delicious--crumbly, buttery, and sweet. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out great!
beautyfullperla's Review
O-M-G this shortbread is sooo good! It was so simple to make, buttery and the brown sugar is GREAT. I put mine in a circle cake pan and cut into wedges while it was still cooling. I am still in awe that this isn't really fattening. I can be on my diet and have a treat!
sweetmarimari's Review
These are wonderful! Such a nice treat for having friends in for coffee or tea. 'Took the suggestion to use parchment paper in 8x8 glass baking dish and used 1 1/2 batch idea...you'll need to extend cooking time. Great ideas! Cut cookies into triangles for elegant touch by cutting while hot in pan. Cut 8x8 square into quarters; then cut corner to corner of each quarter. Yields: 16 cookies
lollypaul's Review
Great taste--buttery with that brown sugar taste! I made it with whole wheat pastry flour, so with regular flour it probably would have been a finer consistency. The dough was very dry, and I'd probably finish the edges a little better, as they got brown and crispy.
ZenHuggs's Review
Really easy and a real crowd pleaser! I missed the line about "delete oil" the first time I made them, and except for not being as light, they were every bit as good if not even better. ;)
sdehaemer's Review
Very quick to put together, nice texture, nice scent of caramel. Easy to make with kids. Will make again and again.
MeganGK7's Review