Melt in Your Mouth Shortbread

I love Christmas baking. And shortbread.
This shortbread cookie recipe is, hands-down, the best melt-in-your-mouth delicious shortbread cookie recipe you'll ever try.

If you don't trust me, trust Martha.

What You'll Need:

• Electric mixer or hand mixer (you really can't make these to taste as melt-in-your-mouth delicious without having this)
• Baking trays
• Parchment paper
• 1 cup of room temperature unsalted butter (it is very important to ensure the butter is room temperature)
• 1/4 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (to toss them in, once baked)

What You'll Do:

• Using your electric mixer or hand mixer, beat your room temperate butter and slowly add in the powdered sugar
• Beat at a medium speed for about 3-5 minutes or until the butter starts to look fluffy and pale
• Add in your vanilla and mix until combined
• In a separate bowl combine your flour, cornstarch and salt
• Sift until well combined
• Slowly add the flour mixture into the whipped butter mixture
• Mix until well incorporated
• Cover with cling film and refrigerate the dough for at least one hour

 

• Heat your oven to 350C (or 175F)
• On a baking tray lined in parchment paper, roll out evenly sized dough balls
• Space the balls out evenly - about 12 per tray
• Here is the key! Bake until the cookie bottoms have just a whisper of brown. Do not over bake!
• Remove from the tray and let cool on a rack for about five minutes
• In a separate, smaller bowl, add in the 1/2 powdered sugar
• Take each cookie (be gentle with them) and place inside the powdered sugar, move the cookie around gently, ensuring top and bottom are covered with sugar
• Replace back to the wire rack to cool
• Sample as you go along as there is nothing better than a warm melt-in-your-mouth shortbread
• Serve and graciously accept the outpouring of compliments
• Have tissue on hand to wipe away people's tears of joy

The STEWART SCORE:
Appearance: 2 (some people choose to put candied cherry pieces on top, but I think that distracts from this cookie's good looks)
Taste: 2
Ease:1.5 (it takes some practice to not overcook)