Scotch Shortbread Cookies

[Chief]

This is another mandatory recipe at our house for Christmas.

The original source of this recipe is the cookbook published in the 1960's by Vincent and Mary Price (yes, THAT Vincent Price!). Vinny was quite the gourmand, and this recipe is one of my favorites from his book because of it's simplicity.

Sift 1/2 C powdered Sugar
Beat 1C butter until soft
Continue beating & add the sugar.
Add 1 tsp vanilla
Combine 2 C sifted cake or pastry flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp baking powder
Beat into the butter and sugar mixture on high until blended thoroughly.

Turn the dough out onto saran wrap, flatten, wrap and chill for at least 24 hours before use.

Roll out 1/4" thick, cut into suitable shapes. Bake at 350 degrees until done, about 20 minutes. Cookies should be barely golden brown when done.

Variations: I usually double that basic recipe to make a decent sized batch that yields about 5 dozen small cookies. I've found that bitesized is about the right-size for these. For flavoring, this recipe is perfect to flavor with Double vanilla, or a good Tablespoon full of an aromatic Bourbon. The taste is very subtle once they bake. The wife likes it when these have a slight sprinkling of colored coarse sugar, or turbinado...

Enjoy!!

;D

[Waterbuffalo]

:-) Nice!

[karma]

So Chief do you cream the butter until it's white before adding the sugar?

[Waterbuffalo]

I'd love to know that one myself? :-)

[Chief]

Yes I do karma...we have a good Kitchenaid stand mixer, and I beat the butter on high until it's good and soft and pale. Then I beat in the powdered sugar until it's completely blended. By doing that, the sugar absorbs most of the residual water from the bitter, so when you beat in the pastry flour, you get almost no gluten development at all. The little bit of baking powder is just enough to make these rise when they bake, but if you aggressively beat enough air into these cookies, it helps them rise even more, and helps make them really tender...

On a side note...I've already replaced the main drive gears once on this mixer...we use it that much. If it wears out again, I think we'll spring for a new one. We make a lot of fresh bread here and nothing beats a Kitchenaid with a dough hook for kneading bread dough. I'm making chocolate mouse today which requires a double batch of Italian meringue, and there's no way I'm whipping up meringe by hand. Ditto with the quart of heavy cream that needs to be whipped for this too.

;D

[karma]

Thanks Chief, I was just testing to see if you were a good chef and how well they taught ya at that school?? Okay what color did you get your kitchenaid in and what size??

[Chief]

White, 5 Quart

[karma]

Dark pewter, Professional 6 series here!! All I'll say is we do a lot of baking here!! ;)

[Waterbuffalo]

Ok, now..Both of you stop IT! <wink.> Food is my devil. And your making me hungry? :-)

[Chief]

That's the one with the handle on the side to lift the whole mixing head, instead of tilting it back, right?? That's the one I want...in Fire Engine Red...

;D

[karma]

Yep that would be the one and it will take ya sometime to get used to after having the other. I love the handle on the bowl too. We have a couple attachments so far also. I love the mixing guard on the bowl, what fun!! When we put it on full speed the kitchen rocks!