Shortbread Cookies

Mr. Farmer contemplated what he’d like for me to bake (in the order of cookies) and his response was Lorna Doones. “Really?” I replied.

Challenge! Yes, I love a good challenge. I thought to myself, “If Lorna can do this, so can I!”

What I found out about Lorna was that she may not have been a baker at all, but the main character in a romance novel, A Romance of Exmoor, by R. D. Blackmore, published in the 1860’s. OOOOOOOOOhhhhh!

Then in 1912, Nabisco (National Biscuit Company) invented a cookie and named it “Lorna Doone.” How intriguing! Lorna must have “turned some heads”, so to speak, if a cookie was named after her! Well, I must say it is a rich and fancy cookie! AND EXPENSIVE! It’s a MUST READ!!

The ingredients were simple, yet unusual. Corn starch in cookies? Yes, corn starch, and quite a lot of it. The internet is a lovely tool. I didn’t have any “shortbread” cookie recipes in my file, since I never made them, so I went to the biggest file…..the internet. Ree’s “file” came up…..you know Ree? Yes, the Pioneer Woman, who’s website keeps getting larger and larger and offers us more and more. I love Ree! “Ree is pretty trustworthy. I’ll give her shortbread recipe a try. So I did.

All the ingredients (only 4) were in my possession. “OK………….I’ll give this shortbread challenge a go!”

You can see in this picture I got them a little close. I used a biscuit cutter. Of course a stamped cookie cutter would have been ideal. (I’m realizing now as I write I could have used this lovely colonial heart stamp with a hand holder. Next time!)

Everything about this recipe is simple….really simple. And absolutely buttery delicious……uhh….except for the rolling out stage. Honestly, it is a challenge, but…..if I can do it, anybody can. Proceed with calmness and patience. And, yes, follow the directions quite carefully.

So when it came time to roll out the dough, it was crumbling. I didn’t know whether to add more butter, let it refrigerate longer, add water. I needed Ree over my shoulder whispering confident messages in my ear. She wasn’t there, so I pretended. She hadn’t steered me wrong before!

I took about half of the dough, pushed it together forming somewhat of a ball and laid it down gently on the counter. With the rolling pin and my hands, I proceeded slowly in the rolling until the dough became a thick sheet. It wasn’t the easiest roll out job I’ve ever done, but let me tell you, this strategy worked and I was quite proud of myself as the dough was actually hanging together!

The cutting was easy. Moving the fragile circles to the cookie sheet was a delicate slow process. It worked!

Will I try this recipe again? Absolutely (or I wouldn’t be sharing it with you.) If you like shortbread cookies, they are quite buttery and delicious. They keep well and freeze easily

Won’t you give them a try?

Shortbread Cookies

Author: Denise (adapted from Pioneer Woman)

Recipe type: desserts

Cuisine: American/European

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 36

Delicate and delicious, these cookies are buttery deliciousness.

Ingredients

2 sticks plus 2 T salted butter, softened
1 C sugar
2 C flour
1 scant C cornstarch

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Cream butter and sugar together. Sift flour and cornstarch in and blend together with pastry cutter until all ingredients come together. (Add more butter if ingredients seem too dry.) I didn't.
Form dough into ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 20 min.
Roll onto lightly floured surface and cut into rounds. Place on cookie sheet and bake approx 20 min or you see a bit of brownness on the edge--just a bit.