Shortbread (American South)

american-southern-vanillashortbreadcookies These Vanilla Shortbread Cookies are crisp and buttery. They make the ideal sidekick for a cup of hot tea or coffee for any time of day sweet fix.

1 cup salted butter, softened
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. raw sugar or coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar and vanilla for 2 minutes, or until fluffy.

Lower speed of mixer adding flour ½ cup at a time. Beat on medium speed until fully combined and a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto plastic wrap. Knead gently just until smooth. Form into a disc and chill for 30 minutes.

On a non-stick surface roll dough into roughly an 8x8" square, ⅓-½” thick. Lay a piece of wax paper on top to prevent it sticking to the rolling pin, if needed.

Cut into 2” squares. Place onto pan, at least 1” apart. Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar. You can also cut into 2x1” rectangles or use cookie cutters to make into any shape you wish.

Bake for 22-25 minutes until the bottoms are very lightly golden. Cool on the pan for a few minutes then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 16 cookies.

Cook's Notes: The baking time for these cookies is based on chilled dough cut ⅓-½” thick. If the cookies are rolled thinner, the baking time may need to be reduced.