Scotch Shortbread (biscuits sablés pour les francais!)

A few weeks ago, when Maia went on a trip to Honk Kong, she let me borrow her Kitchen Aid stand mixer! I immediately fell in love with it and was very sad to relinquish it when she came back from her trip! I can't wait to have my own! I used the stand-mixer for this recipe but it can easily be done with a regular hand-held one!

I have always loved shortbread. Its buttery and crumbly texture is simply delicious! This recipe is from Wiiliams-Sonoma Cookies.

Ingredients:

-1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

- 1/4 cup confectioners' (icing) sugar

- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

- 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Have ready an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the butter until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the confectionners' sugar and the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and continue beating until the mixture is no longer gritty when rubbed between your fingers. Beat in the vanilla.

Sift the flour and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon just until blended.

Using floured fingertips, press the dough evenly into the pan.

Sprinkle evenly with the 1 tbsp of granulated sugar.

Bake the Shortbread until the edges are golden, about 1 hour.

Remove the pan from the oven and immediately use a thin, sharp knife to cut the shortbread into strips 3 inches by 1 inch. Use a toothpick to decorate the shortbread with a pattern of dots. Let the strips cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes before transferring them to the rack to cool completely.