Shortbread Fingers

I'll be honest; I'm not a fan of shortbread cookies. Maybe if they're chocolate-coated, I'll eat them but other than that, no thank you! I threw these in the poll because I was hoping to change my feelings towards shortbread (and because the picture in the baking-book looked sooo good!). I'm not sure if my feelings have changed, but I discovered that dipping shortbread into whipped cream is a worthwhile extra touch!


Shortbread Fingers recipe: Martha Stewart - Baking Handbook

Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 12-by-8-inch bakingsheet and line with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until fluffy on medium speed, 3 to 4 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar; continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed, until just incorporated.
- Using a small offset spatula, evenly spread dough in prepared baking sheet. Chill in the freezer or refrigerator until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.
- Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until shortbread is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. (mine needed 55 minutes)
- Transfer to a wire rack and immediately sprinkle with granulated sugar. While still hot, cut shortbread into 4-by-1-inch pieces. Cool completely.


Shortbread dough, pre-oven.

Post-oven. I didn't succeed in getting the shortbread 100% evenly, but that didn't matter after I sprinkled the sugar on top.

Slicing the shortbread is like cutting into butter; so soft!



The sugar on top didn't add much extra flavor, but I would recommend dipping the fingers into whipped cream, yum!