Shortbread Bars
I came across this recipe for Shortbread Bars on The Cookbook Chronicles and decided to make and weigh against the Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies from Keller’s Ad Hoc. While I would say the Shortbread Bars are far, far easier to make than the Cookies (in fact, I would highly recommend making these if you have 15 minutes to make before company comes over…that’s how easy they are), the Cookies do have a classic crunch about them. What I mean is, the Shortbread bars feel quintessentially Minnesotan because they are, in fact, bars; Cookies, and classic Scottish/British shortbread nonetheless, feel very sophisticated…like you should drink a cup of tea with them. Anyway, long story short, with the shortbread bars you mix in a stand mixer, then pat down into a cookie sheet. To make them quite pretty looking, cut the edges of the bars away, then cut into petite squares.
Placed into the cookie sheet, and half patted down into bar shape
Ultra-Tender Shortbread, inspired by Mado’s delicious shortbread recipe, via The Cookbook Chronicles
1 cup + 3 tbsp cornstarch
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment, and grease generously with butter or oil.
In a stand-mixer, combine the softened butter, salt, and sugar. Whip on medium speed for 5-6 minutes, until the butter becomes pale and white, and increases in volume. On low-speed, mix in the flour and cornstarch.
Pat the dough evenly into the sheet pan. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the edges just begin to color. (The shortbread itself should remain white in color.)
Refrigerate the pan of shortbread for an hour until cool. Slice into squares and serve.
These shortbread bars are seriously simple, but I like how they are that way. Your photographs make them look like the kind of cookies that someone would pull out of their oven on a nice summer day. Then attack them with cookie cutters perhaps.