Simply Shortbread

or a slightly less dense and crumbly comfort food delight

I love shortbread.  It has been one of my favorite comfort foods from the time I could climb up onto my mom's counter and sing until she made some for me ("mama's little baby loves short'nin, short'nin. mama's little baby loves short'nin bread" I assumed this was referring to shortbread as a kid but I was wrong, it got my message across anyway though).  There are many ways to enjoy shortbread and I have made a lot of them: bars, triangles, Irish, Scottish, "muffins," and cookies.  Everyone in our family loves shortbread so I have never had any complaints about these experiments, and the minimal time commitment is a huge bonus when you need comfort food fast for quick stress reduction.

Most shortbread gets kind of crumbly after the first day so my husband uses that as an excuse to eat as much as he can within the first 8 hours after they are made.  Well, I wanted to have some that I could hide away for my lunches, at least for a couple days, so I started looking at recipes again trying to find something a little less dry.  It takes a few more ingredients this way but the comfort lasts a few more days so I think it is worth it, plus when it comes out of the oven my family is lining up at the kitchen door so I think that speaks well to its success.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

2 cups white flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp
1 cup butter softened
1/4 cup milk

Hardware: 8" square or 9" round glass baking dish, stand mixer or hand mixer

Preheat oven to 350 F

1. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, powdered sugar, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar to the mixing bowl and turn on for a few seconds on the lowest speed to stir well.

2.  While it is running, add in the butter in tablespoon sized sections.  Once all the butter is in, pour in the milk.  Turn the speed up one level and mix until a stiff dough forms.

3. Grease the baking dish and then dump in the mixture.  Spread it out evenly and pat down lightly so the thickness is consistent and it reaches all edges (I like to take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it over the top during this process if I need to keep my hands clean).  Prick holes evenly throughout with a fork and then sprinkle remaining granulated sugar over top.

4. Bake in oven for 30-35 min or until it is turning golden.  Take out and place dish on a cooling rack.  Allow to cool until "warm" to touch then cut. (I suggest 1" x 2" rectangles in a square baking dish)