Irish-American Christmas cookies: The Famous Shortbread Cookie

It is time to start thinking of all the wonderful Christmas Cookies that appear this time of year.   I've started pulling out all of my cookie and cake recipes and began planning my baking time.

 One of my favorite is the shortbread

The success of a 'shortie' as shortbread is also known is to handle the dough with care. Do not pound or knead heavily, and make sure your hands and the dishes you use are cold. The resulting shortbread will then be light and crumbly with a dense buttery taste.

Choose the method you prefer for 'rolling' out the dough. You can either roll with a pin, or press directly into a tin or a shortbread mold if you have one.

·         2 1/4 sticks butter

·         Tiny pinch of salt

·         1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

·         2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

·         3 1/2 oz. cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, salt and sugar until light, fluffy, and pale in color. This can take at least 10 minutes. Alternatively use a food mixer.

3. Mix the flour and cornstarch and sieve into the bowl of butter and sugar. Mix quickly and thoroughly to bring all the ingredients together but do not over mix.

4. Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and bring knead lightly and quickly to form a loose dough. then either:

5. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1/4” thick. Prick the surface all over with a fork. Cut into desired shape or rounds using cookie cutters. Place the Scottish short breads on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until pale brown and crisp. Sprinkle the warm Scottish short breads with fine sugar and leave to cool on a wire cooling rack.

6. Grease a Swiss roll tin 9" x 13” with butter. Press the dough into the tin and press with your fingers to level the surface, prick all over with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. With the shortbread still in the tin, cut into squares or fingers, leave to cool for 15 minutes then carefully remove to a wire cooling rack.

7. Store in an airtight tin or box