This Shortbread has a lovely slightly crispy exterior and a melt in your mouth interior. The key to achieving this is really the weighing of the three main ingredients – butter, sugar and flour, and proper baking time. This cookie was inspired by the Apple TV show Ted Lasso. If you haven’t seen it yet, only 3 seasons, no more, but a good old fashioned comedy with a moral learning coming from each episode – perfect for binge watching over the holidays! This is another Christmas treat for you – Shortbread. 

I said weighing the ingredients was one of the keys to success in shortbread (really any baking recipe).  I scan many recipes daily, more so in baking than cooking.  I also try many of the recipes, I have spot on results when the recipe gives me ingredients by weight – usually grams/millilitres or sometimes pounds/ounces.  Even most American baking sites are leaning towards providing both metric and standard cup measures.  So weigh the ingredients – weight measures don’t lie – just take my bathroom scale as an example, painfully honest!  Unlike cooking, where a good sauce can save a dish, you don’t get a chance to correct post bake!   

The second thing is baking time, usually a range is provided which is extremely helpful. I am so cautious with my baking times that if a range for a cake is 30 – 35 minutes, I will set my timer for 25 minutes and do a quick check at 25 by inserting a toothpick and seeing what is attached to it. I can then tell if I need to check at 30 or closer to 35 minutes. The more you bake and use your oven, the easier this becomes. Which is another point to consider – every oven is different. Hot spots, convection etc. You need to know what the differences are in your appliance. Some run hot and some are spot on in temperatures.  Buy an oven thermometer and test this different levels and zones in your oven. Best investment for your oven (and your baking).  Check this cookie at 9 minutes and again at 10, and if necessary 11 minutes as well.  Most times, it will not be firm on top, but should move fairly easily when nudged.  Cookies continue to harden out of the oven so when you want a chewy cookie, timing is essential.  

Sometimes it is nice to just have a plain cookie, nothing jumping out at you, just good taste, a good crisp clean bite, and a tender interior that melts in your mouth. This is it! As always – enjoy!

Ingredients
227g unsalted butter, room temperature
150g white sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla
340g all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
optional – citrus sugar to sprinkle on top of the cookies before baking or jus as they come out of the oven

Directions
1. Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter until light in color
2. Add the sugar and vanilla and cream until light and airy – remember to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl throughout this process, the paddle as well
3. Add the flour and salt, mix on low to combine – when it starts to clump together, its ready – do the squeeze test, grab a handful of dough and squeeze together, if it retains it’s shape without breaking when you open your hand, its ready.  If not, give it another couple of mixes, but no too much or you will end up with chewy shortbread – still delicious, just not what we are aiming for
4. Empty the contents of the bowl into a large plastic freezer bag (10.5″ square or about 26 cm)and flatten the dough in the bag using your hands first, then a rolling pin to get an even thickness 
5. Place the bag in the fridge for 30 minutes or as long as overnight
6. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350f and line 2 baking sheets with parchment
7. Remove the dough from the fridge and lay it on a flat surface, cut the plastic bag at the seams (insert a sharp knife from the open side into the center of the bag, then push gently towards one edge and slice through the edge parallel to the dough, same for the other 2 sides), leave the dough on the wrap
8. Using a kitchen ruler as a guide and a measure, cut the dough in strips the width of the ruler across the top of the square, then turn the dough square around and do the same cuts to give you nice even squares 
9. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking tray and using the tines of a fork make an indentation onto the tops of each cookie – sprinkle lightly with some citrus sugar.  You could also use a knife to make slits in the top – see pictures
10. Bake for 10 minutes – rotating the trays after 5 minutes. Remember, check at 9 minutes by nudging a cookie on the tray, if it moves without denting, it’s ready. If not leave it in the oven for another 1 or 2 minutes as needed
11. When baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them sit for about 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a cooling rack and when completely cool, store in an airtight container