Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 300°F with the rack in the
2. middle position. Heavily butter a 9-inch
3. square or round cake pan or a 9-inch pie
4. plate with butter (if using a cake pan, you
5. may line the bottom with a parchment
6. round if desired).
7. 2. Put the flour and salt into a medium
8. mixing bowl. Mix on Speed 1 to fully
9. combine, about 30 seconds.
10. 3. Put the butter and sugar in a large
11. mixing bowl. Mix on Speeds 1 to 4 until
12. creamy. Add the vanilla extract, mix on
13. Speeds 2 to 3 until combined and then,
14. while mixing on Speed 2, add the dry
15. ingredients in 2 to 3 additions. The dough
16. should not fully come together, but
17. rather be in pieces – you do not want to
18. over-mix at this stage.
19. 4. Transfer the dough to the prepared
20. baking pan/dish and press to fully cover
21. the bottom. The dough will be very
22. sticky, so in order to smooth out the top
23. so it’s nice and even, place a piece of
24. parchment paper on top of the dough
25. (that way your hands won’t stick to the
26. dough) and then smooth it out. Once it’s
27. smooth, using the tines of a fork, prick all
28. over the top of the dough to make small
29. indentations. Sprinkle with the coarse
30. sugar/salt mixture.
31. 5. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until
32. lightly golden at the edges, but still soft.
33. 6. Immediately score and cut the shortbread
34. into desired pieces (bars or wedges are
35. traditional).
36. 7. Cool before serving.