I am no expert baker (yet) but I've heard/read butters such as Plugra and Kerrygold really shine in baked goods. I understand the quality difference of these butters is much more apparent in baked goods, rather than, say spread on a dinner roll. And I agree, butter is the ingredient that makes shortbread taste so fabulousl
I cut a recipe out of a magazine (about 20 years ago so I don't even know who to give credit for it) that has rice flour in it. It makes the most delicate shortbread I've made:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup fine sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
Sift dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until it becomes a crumbly mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thick and use cookie cutters or the rim of a glass to make shapes. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until browned to your liking. I like mine not very brown.
Here are a bunch of shortbread recipes from Food52: http://www.food52.com/recipes/search?recipe_search=shortbread
And here's Ina Garten's recipe:
Ingredients
nocoupons
3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
5 Comments
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup fine sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
Sift dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until it becomes a crumbly mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thick and use cookie cutters or the rim of a glass to make shapes. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until browned to your liking. I like mine not very brown.
I think the rice flour gives it a light texture.
And here's Ina Garten's recipe:
Ingredients
nocoupons
3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.