Shortbread Cookies - the best traditional old fashioned oatmeal shortbread ever!

Shortbread Cookies - the best ever traditional shortbread (click here to go directly to my YouTube video of this recipe) 

By: Chef Miriam Borys

Ingredients:

½ cup large oats (not the instant or quick oatmeal)

1 ½ cups         all purpose flour
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ cup cornstarch
⅔ cup icing sugar (confectioners sugar)
1 cup cold butter (½ lb.)

½ cup flour for rolling out the dough (discard after use, 

do not add back into original flour source as it may be contaminated)

Measure oats into a food processor and process until oats are a fine powder. Set aside.

Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. This step isn’t totally necessary but sifting does remove tiny lumps and makes the dry ingredients finer. Add processed oats to the flour mixture.

Cut up cold butter into small chunks and place in a mixing bowl. Soften the butter slightly by rotating the blades until butter is creamy.

Slowly add all the dry ingredients and mix until the ingredients form into a soft ball of dough.

Remove from the mixer and wrap in parchment and let chill for ½ an hour before rolling. 

Cut the dough into 4 pieces for easier handling.

Lightly dust the counter or cutting board with a sprinkling of flour. Do not over flour as this will dry out your dough.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin (or a clean bottle) until the dough is all the same thickness of approximately ¼ of an inch.

Cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter or cut with a sharp knife into desired shapes. You can also use the top of a drinking glass for a round cookie shape.

Place cookies (so as not touching each other) on an engrossed, parchment-lined baking tray.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees first and then bake until still white but slightly browned on the edges for approximately 6 minutes. Careful not to over bake. The baking time depends on the accuracy of your oven. I now realize that some ovens, especially the older ones do not register accurately, so watch your cookies so they don’t get too brown.

Miriam Little Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com