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Shortbread: Coffee Shortbread

Source of Recipe

Simple Desserts, by Ken Haedrich


List of Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee
1 tablespoon boiling water
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Recipe

Put the coffee in a small custard cup or ramekin. Pour the boiling water out of the kettle into your measuring spoon, then immediately pour it over the coffee. Stir with a spoon to dissolve the coffee. Cool for 5 minutes. In a bowl, cream the butter with the vanilla extract. Blend in the dissolved coffee. In another bowl, sift together the remaining ingredients (except optional confectioners' sugar). Blend the dry mix, about one-third at a time, into the butter until evenly mixed. Divide the dough in half. Place each half on a sheet of wax paper and shape into cylinders about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap them up in the wax paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. You can also overwrap the dough in a plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325ºF. Using a serrated knife, slice the cookies about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick and place them on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops feel firm to the touch. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool to room temperature. Dredge the cooled cookies in confectioners' sugar if you like. Store in an airtight container.