This shortbread continues to be one of my favorite foods on the planet. This variation, made with lemon zest and lemon juice, is perfect for spring and could be made gluten-free with C4C flour or your favorite gluten-free mix. // alexandracooks.com

Have you ever spotted Kerrygold butter at your supermarket? Inexplicably in the cheese section? And wondered if it were any good?

Well, it is. My mother brought me some this weekend. She spoils me, still, at age 30. Along with the butter, she brought her favorites from the Greek market — a tin of olive oil, a branch of dried oregano, a block of manouri cheese — along with some pantry items she knows I hate spending money on (cheesecloth and parchment paper).

Of course, there were some baked goods in the mix, too: Bakery Lane’s honey-whole wheat bread and toasted coconut-raspberry jam bars. Delicious. As my mother says, I felt like a bride.

But the butter — the gold foil-wrapped bars of Kerrygold Butter — which is made in Ireland from the milk of grass-fed cows is truly special. It’s definitely a splurge, too, best saved perhaps for spreading on good bread or topping simply with radish slices and flaky sea salt.

Or, if you’re feeling luxurious, you could use it to make shortbread.

Several months ago, after watching Thomas Keller make polenta waffles and fried chicken on tv using his new Cup4Cup flour — a gluten-free mix that can be subbed one-for-one with all-purpose flour — I immediately ordered a bag.

Beyond curiosity, I didn’t have a reason to buy this gluten-free flour, but I’m so happy I did. So far, and I’ve only made a couple of things (shortbread and waffles), I’m impressed. It’s pricey, certainly, but it’s a good product — worth it for the mere convenience of being able to use it in nearly any pastry, dessert, or quick bread.

Inspired by a recent visit to 2Amys, where a wedge of lemon shortbread stole the show (after the pizza of course), I used the Cup4Cup to make a gluten-free shortbread using my favorite Melissa Clark recipe as a guide. A few simple adjustments to the recipe — lemon-thyme for the rosemary and the addition of fresh lemon zest — produced a lemon shortbread to swoon over. I can’t stop eating it.

PS: One of my favorite things to make for my gluten-free friends is my favorite brownie recipe but with the flour substituted by almond flour. So simple and delicious!

This shortbread continues to be one of my favorite foods on the planet. This variation, made with lemon zest and lemon juice, is perfect for spring and could be made gluten-free with C4C flour or your favorite gluten-free mix. // alexandracooks.com
lemon
kerrygold butter

When making shortbread, it’s important to not over pulse the dough. This is about what the mixture should look like:

cuisinart
c4c flour
c4c Flour
lemon zest & lemon thyme
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Gluten-Free Lemon-Thyme Shortbread


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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Alexandra Stafford
  • Total Time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 16 to 18 pieces
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

Adapted from Melissa Clark’s recipe for rosemary shortbread (addictive!).

A few notes:

The thyme or lemon-thyme is purely optional. It’s a very subtle flavor, one I really like, but if you’re not into herbed sweets, just leave it out.


Ingredients

  • 2 cups C4C gluten-free flour or your favorite gluten-free flour mix (or all-purpose flour if you are not making these gluten-free)
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh lemon thyme or thyme (optional — this flavor is very subtle)
  • zest of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted cold butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
  • sparkling sugar or granulated sugar for finishing, optional

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 325ºF. In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, thyme, zest and salt. Add butter and honey, and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some crumbs start to come together, but don’t overprocess. Dough should not be smooth.
  2. Press dough into an ungreased (or parchment paper-lined for easy removal) 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan. Bake until golden brown, 32 to 35 minutes for 9-inch pan, 35 to 37 minutes for 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of sparkling or granulated sugar if using. 
  3. Let the shortbread cool for 30 minutes; then cut into bars. Then let the shortbread cool completely in its pan. Run a knife along the cut marks before removing. 
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American