Butter Shortbread Cookies
1 pound butter- chilled
I cut mine into pieces to mix more easily. I used 1/2 tilamook butter and 1/2 plugra butter. I think imported or farm made butter is the best. Never use salted butter! It keeps longer so it is usually older on the shelf.
1 1/4 cup white sugar. Extra fine is the best option.
Mix at medium speed until just creamed. Don't let the butter get warm!
2 tsp almond extract (optional) if you like almond spread almond paste over the completed cookies while they are chilling. I love marzipan so this is great!
Add 4 1/4 cups flour in 1 cup parts.
Add it gradually or you will end up over mixing and have a floury taste.
Press into greased cookie sheet with ridges. I used the Williams Sonoma gold collection cookie sheets. I also used my rolling pin from them with silicone. I want a marble one but that's a separate topic. I love them. I greased it with a cheesecloth and crisco. I would always use a cheesecloth or paper towel to grease a pan/ and cheesecloth is best.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until edges start to turn gold.
Cover with sanding sugar or powdered sugar to taste- I used about 1 cup and out it on while the cookies were still warm so it melted a bit.
Cut into squares with sharp knife while still cooling.
Let cool
My children got a plate and used them as Legos with a sort of rapt intensity. It was about an hour of using their cookies as a fun game and carefully taking bites out of each piece.
These taste better after they are a few days old.
Merry Christmas! Don't eat too much.
Adding a link with my phone blogger is difficult so I'm including links here with this tacky method.
http://www.plugra.com/ butter of champions.
http://www.tillamook.com/products/butter.html
Everyone loves tilamook.
http://www.deandeluca.com/pantry/baking-ingredients/dean-and-deluca-rainbow-sanding-sugar.aspx
Guys. Brand matters. Especially when it comes to butter.
