It’s a lazy Sunday here in Berkeley, and I was getting the cooking itch. My dinner tonight is easy – meat is marinating and there’s not much left to do. I was having a cookie craving and decided to whip up a batch of shortbread. This recipe could not be easier. As proof, I offer up the fact that it’s just 2 hours since I decided to whip these up, and I’m now on the couch with a couple cookies, a glass of Lemon Verbena Elixir straight from my freezer, my laptop, and a Law & Order SVU on the DVR.
Life is good.
Citrus Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from Epicurious
Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Finely grated zest from a lemon and an orange
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter or grease a 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add the butter and using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers until it starts to come together.
At this point, the recipe suggests rolling it out, then pressing it into a pan. I skipped that step and just pressed it evenly right into the greased pan. Using tip of small sharp knife, score the into 8 equal triangles, then pierce all over with fork. It’s a little flaky, so just do it gently and carefully.
Bake until shortbread is cooked through and pale golden, about 40-45 minutes. At the 30 minute mark, I pulled it out of the oven, re-scored it again to make sure it wouldn’t crumble when I cut it, and gave it a light sprinkling of sugar.
When the shortbread is done, remove from the oven and run your knife through the scored lines again to loosen it up. Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Release from pan and carefully remove.
This looks so delicious! I love shortbread. I may try substituting some grapefruit zest.
Your cookies sound delicious! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Easy and delicious–can’t beat that! Love the citrus in these.
that looks so good! i love shortbread but i’ve never made it.