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Do you like shortbread? I do. It's the simplest of all cookies. When I'm feeling incredibly lazy, but I want a treat (and really, don't you always want a treat when you feel lazy?) it's my go to recipe.
You may notice that powdered sugar and cake flour are not the norm. I've recently tried to find a way to make the shortbread a bit more dainty, and I think these two changes make a big difference. The dough is so soft and lush that it can be difficult to roll out. I recommend putting it in the refrigerator to chill before attempting to roll, and even once cut, having a second chilling time won't hurt.
Cheers!
Shortbread
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flours and mix well.
Shape dough into a disc, wrap in wax paper and allow to rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface to roughly an 1/8th inch thick. Cut the dough, and place cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Chill in refrigerator for another half hour.
Remove from fridge and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack.
Allow to cool before icing.
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water or milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract (preferably clear vanilla extract)
food coloring (if desired)
Mix ingredients together. Add more sugar or liquid until the consistency you desire is acquired Lightly set the cookie top-side-down on the icing. Gently remove and allow excess to drip off. If necessary, use a knife to gently push the icing to the sides of the cookie.
Return the iced cookie to the cooling rack and allow icing to set for roughly an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flours and mix well.
Shape dough into a disc, wrap in wax paper and allow to rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface to roughly an 1/8th inch thick. Cut the dough, and place cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Chill in refrigerator for another half hour.
Remove from fridge and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack.
Allow to cool before icing.
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water or milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract (preferably clear vanilla extract)
food coloring (if desired)
Mix ingredients together. Add more sugar or liquid until the consistency you desire is acquired Lightly set the cookie top-side-down on the icing. Gently remove and allow excess to drip off. If necessary, use a knife to gently push the icing to the sides of the cookie.
Return the iced cookie to the cooling rack and allow icing to set for roughly an hour.