What I love about shortbread cookies is how easy they are to bake and how you will most likely have everything already on hand. Now let me tell you what I love about this shortbread recipe--it uses brown sugar instead of granulated white. In other words, it takes the cookie a notch above the rest, giving it a little less crumble, a tiny bit more chew, and a touch of warmth from the molasses.
Brown Sugar and Orange Shortbread
Adapted from the Brown Sugar Shortbread recipe from Lick the Bowl Good by Monica Holland
1 cup butter, unsalted, room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp orange zest (about what you'll get from a medium sized orange)
Sugar sprinkles (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the zest and mix thoroughly. Gradually add the flour, etc until incorporated. Turn the dough out onto the counter until you produce a smooth dough. Between two sheets of parchment or wax paper, roll the dough out until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Chill for half an hour. Cut into desired shape---the original recipe was cut into 2x1 inch rectangles---I used an inch and half round cookie cutter. Makes hearts, diamonds, squares--whatever you want.
Prick the dough with a fork. If you're going to top them with sugar sprinkles, wash tops lightly with milk and sprinkle on sugar. I used King Arthur Flour's Sparkling White Sugar (red sugar sprinkles would be entirely appropriate too). Place about an inch apart on cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until bottoms are a light golden brown. Let cookies set for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack.
If you want to score bonus points, package them up in cute little Valentine's boxes or cello bags.
I know I haven't been around lately. Do I have a good reason? Not really. Life sometimes gets in the way. I'm hoping to make this more of a habit again. Let's do this!
