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Thick Scottish Shortbread




Source of Recipe


Source: Fine Cooking - Issue No. 26


Recipe Introduction


Superfine sugar helps give these treats their delicate texture. If you can’t find it, pulse granulated sugar in a food processor for about 30 seconds.



List of Ingredients




1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for 1 hour and cut into 16 pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Lemon Curd:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest




Recipe



Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch brownie pan with heavy aluminum foil, letting the foil extend over two sides of the pan.


Sift the flour, cornstarch, and salt into a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the superfine sugar and, with an electric mixer on low speed, mix to just blend the ingredients. Add the butter pieces and vanilla and mix until large (1/4- to 1/2-inch) crumbs form, about 2 min. Very gently press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Don’t pack the dough into the pan. Bake until the top of the shortbread just begins to turn golden, about 1 hour and 10 min. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the remaining 2 Tbs. superfine sugar over the top. Cut the shortbread into 12 squares, being sure to cut through to the bottom. Cool completely before lifting the foil and shortbread from the pan.


Lemon Curd:
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, about 2 min. Slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for 1 min. Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks.


In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth. (The curdled appearance disappears as the butter in the mixture melts.) Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 min. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170 degrees F on a thermometer. Don’t let the mixture boil.


Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools.


Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.


VARIATION: For lime curd, substitute fresh lime juice and zest for lemon.