Shortbread Cookies

All you need to make great cookies is 5 ingredients. This is a staple recipe, and you can jazz them up in so many ways. And if you want to always have them on hand, pop the prepared rolled dough log in the freezer and bake them off within a month.

Ingredients:


1 1/2 sticks butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar, plus some for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add vanilla extract; beat.

3. In another mixing bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add to butter mixture in small batches, beat on low speed after each addition. Beat just until dough starts to form.

4. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Loosely wrap dough in plastic wrap and form into a log shape 2 inches in diameter.

5. Refrigerate wrapped dough log for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove from refrigerator and unwrap dough.

6. Slice into 1/2-inch cookie disks. Place cookies on baking sheet 1-2 inches apart. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of sugar.

7. Bake cookies for 20 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


Enjoy cookies plain or jazz them up with the following suggestions:

– For chocolate dipped cookies, melt 3/4 cup chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir after 30 seconds then continue microwaving in 30-second intervals until completely melted. Add in another 3/4 cup chocolate chips and stir vigorously until chips melt from the residual heat of the microwaved chocolate. Then dip cooled cookies halfway into the chocolate and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet to harden. For extra special cookies, sprinkle chocolate-dipped cookies with finely chopped pecans.

– For lemon shortbread cookies, substitute lemon extract for the vanilla extract. When cookies are cooled, dip in a lemon glaze mixture: 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice. Allow dipped cookies to harden.

– For pecan sandies or almond shortbread cookies, stir in finely chopped pecans or toasted slivered almonds before rolling dough into a log.

– For coconut shortbread, stir in toasted coconut before rolling dough into a log.