King Arthur Flours Recipe For Shortbread

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F Lightly grease two round 9" cake pans. If you worry about the shortbread possibly sticking in your particular pans, line them with parchment, and grease the parchment.
• In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extract, then beat in the flour. The mixture may seem a little dry at first; keep beating until it comes together. If it absolutely won't come together, dribble in up to 1 tablespoon of water, until it does. This is a stiff dough.
• Divide the dough in half, and press each half into one of the prepared pans, smoothing the surface with your fingers, or with a mini rolling pin.
• Use a fork to prick the dough all over; this allows any steam to escape, and prevents the shortbread from bubbling as it bakes. Prick the dough in a random pattern, but it looks nicer pricked with some kind of symmetry.
• Bake the shortbread until it's a light golden brown across the top surface, and a deeper golden brown around the edges, about 35 minutes.
• Remove it from the oven, and immediately turn each shortbread round out onto a clean work surface.
• Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut each round into 12 wedges. (Do this while the shortbread is still warm; if you wait until it's cool, it won't cut easily.) Transfer the shortbread wedges to a rack to cool.
• Serve as is, or decorate. Here are a few suggestions: Drizzle with melted caramel; Spread with melted chocolate, and sprinkle with nuts;.
• Set aside two shortbread cookies, and spread the remainder of the cookies with a thick layer of jam or preserves. Crumble the reserved cookies, and sprinkle the crumbs lightly over the jam.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a 8-by-8-inch baking dish. In the bowl of a standing mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar at medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add the salt and vanilla and continue to beat until well combined. Add the flours and continue to beat until the dough comes together.
• Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface. Prick it with a fork in about 20 places. Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Slide a dull knife along the edges. Cool for 5 minutes.
• Carefully turn the slab of shortbread out onto a clean surface. With a knife, trim 1 inch from one of the sides. Crumble the trimmings into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Cut the rest of the shortbread into 16 squares and allow to cool.
• Spread a thick layer of jam on each square, and then sprinkle with the crumbs. Layered between plastic wrap or wax paper in an airtight container, the cookies will keep for 3 to 4 days.