Basic Shortbread

- by Davi Rodrigues -

     One of the best things about British cuisine is that it's simple. That is why I have chosen to make my first culinary article here about Basic Shortbread. After all, few things are more British and simple than shortbread. This biscuit is an old favorite, born in the sweet blue Highlands of Scotland. This is an adaptation, but still a perfect companion for an afternoon cup of tea.

     So, off to the recipe:

     Let's start out by setting up the baking trays, because the dough is quite a bit of a quick thing. You want to cover them with sheets of baking paper that have 7 inch diameter circles on them. A reminder: draw the circles, and then turn the sheets over - nobody wants pencil or pen marks on their food.

     Now, mix 2 cups of plain flour and 1½ cup of cornflour in a bowl. Then, with an electric mixer, cream up 9oz. (a little more than a cup full) of softened - not melted - butter, 1 cup of icing sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Put that in the bowl with all the flour and stir until things start crumbling. Then use your hands to mash the crumbles until they become an actual dough.

     Then, take the dough out of the bowl and knead it on a lightly floured surface. Divide this mixture in half and press  the parts on the trays to make half an inch disks inside the circle marks drawn before. Using a knife, mark eight triangles on the disks - do not cut them all the way through. Pinch the borders to form a frill.

     Refrigerate the dough for twenty minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F and make the topping: beat 1 eggwhite with a fork - we just want them slightly foamy. Now you may either mix two tablespoons of sugar with them, or brush it on the dough and then sprinkle the sugar.

     Now, put your shortbread in the oven, bake it for half an hour (until it gets light golden and firm to the touch), let it cool, cut it all the way through, and enjoy.