Categories: English, baking, biscuit, dessert
Ingredients
- - 150 grams (5 1/3 ounces) top-quality European-style salted butter (I use Bordier's beurre demi-sel; substitute top-quality European-style unsalted butter, plus a fat pinch of fleur de sel or kosher salt)
- - 70 grams (1/3 cup) sugar
- - The seeds scraped from one vanilla bean or 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon (loosely packed) freshly grated, finely chopped citrus zest from an organic fruit (optional)
- - 70 grams (7 tablespoons) stone-ground cornmeal (in France, Italian épiceries and organic stores sell it as polenta)
- - 150 grams (1 1/4 cup) all-purpose flour, sifted
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F)
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In the bowl of a food processor (or by hand, in a medium mixing-bowl, with a sturdy rubber spatula) cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla or zest, if using. Add the cornmeal and mix until combined. Add the flour and process until just combined.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, knead for a few seconds until smooth, and gather into a ball. Press the dough with the heels of your hands into a pan (or see note below), preferably nonstick with a removable bottom: I use a fluted rectangular tart pan like this one (except mine is nonstick), but a 20-cm (8-inch) round pan would work too. Level out the surface with the back of a tablespoon, prick holes all over the dough* (I use my chocolate dipping fork), and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until lightly golden.
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Transfer to a cooling rack, mark rectangular or square or triangular pieces using a sharp knife* (be gentle so as not to ruin the nonstick coating of your pan) while still hot and malleable, and let cool completely. Separate the pieces and serve. Try to exercise restraint, for the shortbreads taste even better the next day.
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- Please do not try to make the holes or the pieces too regular. It is their imperfection that makes them appealing.
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Note: Alternatively, you can spread the dough thickly on a lightly floured surface, cut out shapes using a cookie cutter, and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. In that case, reduce the baking time to 30 minutes or so.