Christmas Shortbread

* Exported from MasterCook *

CHRISTMAS SHORTBREAD

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Holiday Breads

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 c Butter
1/2 c Sugar
1 t Vanilla extract
2 c Flour
2 pn Salt

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla
until light and fluffy. Mix flour and salt, then beat
into butter mixture until thoroughly blended, to make
a soft dough.

To make bars: on work surface dusted with flour, pat
dough into rectangle 1/2" thick, 2" wide, and about
17" long. Use knife or fluted pastry cutter to cut
into 1" bars. Use spatula to transfer bars to
ungreased cookie sheet, leaving 1" between bars.
Prick each bar with fork several times. Bake for 20-25
minutes, until lightly colored. Do not overbake; the
bars should not brown. Let cool on cookie sheet for
one minute, then carefully transfer to wire racks to
finish cooling.

To make wedges: Dust your hands and ungreased cookie
sheet with flour. Pat dough into ball. Pat ball into
flat disk about 1/2" thick and 7" in diameter on
cookie sheet. With edge of plastic ruler dusted with
flour, mark disk in 8 wedges, cutting about halfway
through dough, and prick dough all over and crimp
edges with fork. Bake for 30 minutes, then take
cookie sheet out and cut through shortbread on marked
lines. Return shortbread to oven for five more
minutes. Let wedges cool on cookie sheet for one
minute, then carefully transfer to wire racks to
finish cooling.

Nut Shortbread: add 1/4 c finely chopped toasted
pecans, almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts to flour
mixture.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread: add 1/4 c miniature
semisweet chocolate chips to flour mixture.

Orange-Chocolate Chip Shortbread: add 1 t grated
orange rind and 1/4 c miniature semisweet chocolate
chips to flour mixture.

Lemon Shortbread: add 1 t grated lemon rind to flour
mixture.

Source: _The Christmas Kitchen_ by Lorraine Bodger MM
by Sylvia Steiger, THE.STEIGERS on GEnie, 71511,2253
on CI$, GT Cookbook echo moderator at net/node 004/005



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