The secret to the very best shortbread is to use some rice flour along with the all purpose flour.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cupsall-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise or 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together flour and granulated sugar.
- With tip of a knife, scrape pulp from vanilla bean.
- Using a pastry blender, cut in the 1/2 cup butter and half of the vanilla bean pulp (or 1 teaspoon vanilla) until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling.
- Knead dough until smooth and form into a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into an 8x6-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
- Using a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut rectangle into twenty-four 2x1-inch rectangles. Transfer dough rectangles to an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving 1 inch between rectangles.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are firm.
- Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.
- For Orange Buttercream: In a large bowl, beat the 1/4 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
- Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of the milk, the remaining half of the vanilla bean pulp (or 1 teaspoon vanilla), and orange peel. Beat until smooth. Beat in the remaining 1 cup powdered sugar and enough additional milk to make frosting of piping consistency.
- Transfer Orange Buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a small closed star tip.
- Pipe frosting on the bottom of each of half of the cookies.
- Top with the remaining half of the cookies, flat sides down.
- Makes 12 sandwich cookies.
- Layer unassembled cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- To serve, thaw cookies, if frozen.
- Assemble sandwich cookies as directed in Steps 3 and 4.
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