Shortbread Anyone?

From the time I was eleven my weekends would be filled with babysitting and baking, glamorous, I know! I'd fill cellophane bags with an assortment of baked goods and send my younger sisters around the neighborhood selling the treats for $2.00 each. Believe it or not, they'd come back empty handed! The past few years I've spent my time in the kitchen cooking treats of a different variety, the savory kind.
I'm now revisiting the world of baking and find it just as much fun as it use to be!

This recipe for shortbread comes from this month's Cooking Light magazine with a few slight modifications. The shortbread is light and has a much more flaky texture than your typical shortbread. I added a lemon drizzle once they were cut and cooled.



Vanilla shortbread with Lemon Drizzle

2 C Flour
1/4 C Cornstarch
1/4 t salt
1/2 C softened butter
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 C sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease either a 9x13 baking pan, or a 9 inch round spring form.
Combine flour, cornstarch, salt in a bowl. Sift. Beat butter in a separate bowl for 2 minutes. Gradually add the oil and mix another 3 minutes. Add vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until JUST combined. Spoon dough into prepared pan and press to an even thickness. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Cut into desired size pieces.

To bump up the lemon flavor add the finely grated zest of one lemon to the dough.

Lemon Drizzle

Powdered sugar
Fresh lemon juice

Mix just enough sugar and juice together to make a drizzle the consistency of heavy cream. Spoon over the cookies just before serving.

ENJOY!