Categories: Cookies, Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter , plus softened
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour , plus
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch , plus
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar or 1/4 cup granulated sugar , for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°; butter a 10×6 inch glass baking dish.

2. Add butter to a mixing bowl—the butter must be very soft, the consistency of mayonnaise or whipped cream.

3. Add the salt to the butter and mix well with a wooden spoon or whisk sot that it dissolves completely before you add the rest of the ingredients.

4. Sift the flour and cornstarch together into a bowl.

5. Add the sugar to the butter and mix just until combined.

6. Add the flour mixture and mix just until a smooth dough forms.

7. Pat the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish; the dough should be no more than 2/3 inch deep.

8. Bake until the top and bottom are lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

9. The middle of the shortbread should remain light; let cool on a wire rack until warm to touch.

10. Sprinkle the shortbread with the superfine sugar; tilt the dish so that the sugar fully and evenly coats the surface and then tip out the excess sugar.

11. With a very thin, sharp knife, cut the shortbread into rectangular fingers, about ½ inch wide and 2 inches long; if the cookies have become cold, they will not slice well, so they must still be warm to the touch at this point.

12. Chill thoroughly before removing from the baking dish; the first cookie is difficult to remove, but the rest should come out easily with the aid of a small, thin offset spatula.

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