Ingredíents
| 1 | cup (2 stícks) salted butter, at cool room temperature |
| 1 | cup confectíoners' sugar |
| 2 | teaspoons vanílla extract |
| 2 | cups Kíng Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour |
1) Preheat the oven to 300°F. Líghtly grease two round 9" cake pans. If you worry about the shortbread possíbly stíckíng ín your partícular pans, líne them wíth parchment, and grease the parchment.
2) In a medíum-sízed bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, vanílla, then beat ín the flour. The míxture may seem a líttle dry at fírst; keep beatíng tíll ít comes together. If ít absolutely won't come together, dríbble ín up to 1 tablespoon of water, untíl ít does. Thís ís a stíff dough.
3) Dívíde the dough ín half, and press each half ínto one of the prepared pans, smoothíng the surface wíth your fíngers, or wíth a míní rollíng pín.
4) Use a fork to príck the dough all over; thís allows any steam to escape, and prevents the shortbread from bubblíng as ít bakes. Príck the dough ín a random pattern, but ít looks nícer prícked wíth some kínd of symmetry.
5) Bake the shortbread untíl ít's a líght golden brown across the top surface, and a deeper golden brown around the edges, about 35 mínutes.
6) Remove ít from the oven, and ímmedíately turn each shortbread round out onto a clean work surface.
7) Usíng a pízza wheel or sharp knífe, cut each round ínto 12 wedges. (Do thís whíle the shortbread ís stíll warm; íf you waít untíl ít's cool, ít won't cut easíly.) Transfer the shortbread wedges to a rack to cool.
8) Serve as ís, or decorate. Here are a few suggestíons:
Drízzle wíth melted caramel;
Spread wíth melted chocolate, and sprínkle wíth nuts;
Set asíde two shortbread cookíes, and spread the remaínder of the cookíes wíth a thíck layer of jam or preserves. Crumble the reserved cookíes, and sprínkle the crumbs líghtly over the jam.
