Brown sugar shortbread.

I need another cookie. You?

Preferably one made with only three (or four) ingredients, whose assembly requires nothing more than a wooden spoon and a bowl,

ingredients
whipped butter and brown sugar
adding the flour

a press-in-the-pan cookie,

pressing in pan

that you score before baking,

prebaking

a cookie that tastes like brown butter, salty and sweet, so much more than the sum of its parts, a shortbread loved as much by the big kids as the littles.

just-baked shortbread
brown sugar shortbread

PS: More cookies.

This brown sugar shortbread is made with only three (or four) ingredients and requires nothing more than a wooden spoon and a bowl. It tastes like brown butter, salty and sweet, so much more than the sum of its parts, a shortbread loved as much by the big kids as the littles. // alexandracooks.com
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Brown Sugar Shortbread

Brown Sugar Shortbread

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Description

This recipe comes from Food52 Baking or, more specifically, from Merrill Stubbs who adapted it from her grandmother and describes it as “the easiest, most foolproof recipe in the world.”

Butter: If you don’t have salted butter, use unsalted butter and the addition of ½ teaspoon fleur de sel or ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (110 g) salted butter, at room temperature, see notes above if using unsalted
  • ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
  • 1⅓ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. With a wooden spoon (or electric mixer) cream the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy and pale. Add the flour, and stir just until incorporated.
  2. Transfer the dough to an 8-inch square pan, and press into an even layer with your fingers — this will feel like a very thin layer. Prick the dough evenly across the surface with a fork. Score the dough into 6 rows and 4 columns using a knife or bench scraper.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
  4. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the dough is a very light golden brown and the surface looks dry; watch carefully so it doesn’t get too dark — the shortbread will get darker as it cools.
  5. Remove from the oven and immediately cut in using the scored lines as guides. Let cool in the pan before separating the pieces. The shortbread will keep in an airtight container for several days. Wishful thinking.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American