Mean Chef's Classic Shortbread Cookies

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 8 ounces unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)

Recipe

• 1 line two baking sheets with parchment.
• 2 combine butter, sugar and salt in a stand mixer (use paddle attachment).
• 3 mix on low speed until the butter combines with the sugar, but isn't perfectly smooth, 1-2 minutes.
• 4 add flour and mix on low, scraping frequently, until dough has just about pulled together, about 3 minutes.
• 5 don't overmix.
• 6 roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a uniform 1/4 inch.
• 7 cut dough into bars or squares with a sharp knife or use a cookie cutter.
• 8 reroll scraps- refrigerate dough if it becomes sticky.
• 9 arrange on baking sheets and refrigerate until chilled- about 20 minutes.
• 10 position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees.
• 11 bake cookies until golden on the bottom and edges and pale to golden on the top- 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• 12 rotate baking sheets every 15 minutes.
• 13 cool.
• 14 variations: brown sugar and oatmeal- use brown sugar in place of and add 1/2 cup quick cooking oats with the flour.
• 15 chocolate dipped espresso- add 2 tbl finely ground espresso coffee beans with the flour.
• 16 dip half of each cooled cookie into melted chocolate (9 oz semisweet chocolate melted with 1 tbl vegetable shortening).
• 17 place cookies on parchment line sheetpan to set up- 2 hours.
• 18 orange-hazelnut- add 2 1/2 oz (1/2 cup) skinned, toasted and finely ground hazelnuts (use food processor) and 2 tsp (loosely packed) finely grated orange zest from 1 orange along with the flour.