The only shortbread recipe you'll ever need ...

When I made shortbread recently, I thought I might have finally found a good recipe. It was buttery and crisp, much better than any recipe I had tried previously. My new friend Geggie mentioned I might want to try her grandfather's recipe, and noted he did come from Scotland. Hmmmm, it didn't take me long to realize I should try out her family recipe.

I don't want to oversell the results, but this is why some people go to Heaven. I am forever in debt to Geggie.

My day started with a trip to the dentist for an annual teeth cleaning. Somehow I managed to tweak my back in the dentist chair and returned home to slowly lose the ability to turn my torso or neck without twinges of pain. I had laid out the butter to reach room temperature before I left the house, and I wasn't about to let any spinal issues come between me and baking. I was determined that the show must go on.

To add one more challenge, my printer doesn't like to cooperate with my work computer, so I had to scribble the recipe down on a post-it note. Fortunately, I hadn't lost the ability to write (that's how my handwriting normally looks). I love recipes that can fit on such a small square of paper! Maybe I should write a post-it note cookbook, filled with only those recipes that can fit on a 3"x3" square of paper :-)

Please go to Geggie's site for full instructions and recipe, this was just my shorthand way of getting down the ingredients. I'm not sure why there are two humps on the right hand side of the note, I assume they were there already and do not pertain to the recipe. It's not intended to be any sort of profane or crude rendering.


Since this recipe makes a large batch of cookies, start with a large mixing bowl. I didn't do this and I made a mess (shhh, don't tell Joe). The corn starch is the key to this recipe (I think) -- I haven't ever seen this before. I think it helps to give the lightness to the shortbread. It's powdery so begin stirring gently or else you'll be wearing most of it. (seriously, I made a big mess)

I quickly bypassed a spoon and dove into the ingredients with my hands. Just begin squishing and squishing the butter until it combines with the dry ingredients. Make sure to get any flour hiding at the bottom of your bowl. When you feel the ingredients are well integrated, then place the crumbly mix onto a baking sheet. I used a half-sheet pan and it fit perfectly.

Use your hands to push the dough into place. I found it hard to get an even surface so I busted out a small rolling pin to run over the top. Hopefully, Geggie isn't cringing by this. As she notes, use a fork to prick holes all over the top. I assume this is to help release any steam from within the dough as it bakes.

I baked as noted but mine took a bit over an hour. Likely, this was due to me peeking at them with the oven door open. I'm not patient. And, the smell is so amazing that you can't help but to peek at what's going on. When they came out of the oven I dusted with granulated sugar. I only waited about 5 minutes before trying to cut them and it seemed to work perfectly.

As the knife slid effortlessly through the shortbread it made the most joyous sound, you could hear the crisp layers of shortbread snapping under the weight of the knife. I tried to remain steady and calm but that wave of 'oh, my god this is gonna be good' kept wafting over me. Due to this, some of my lines aren't too straight but that just gives it more character.



My past experiences with some recipes is that the dough doesn't seem crispy or done all the way through. You'll have crispy edges and top, but the center is less than desirable. Not the case here. Look at the next picture and see how the golden brown color extends all the way through from top to bottom. These little guys are crisp and tender, buttery and rich.



I don't know what else to say. I'm in love. I don't know how I'm going to pace myself on eating these. I'm very bad with self-control when it comes to things like this. A big thanks to Geggie for sharing her recipe with all of us -- she is my hero. Try this recipe -- you won't be disappointed.

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