This recipe caught my eye while I browsed the Food Network website. I've never made shortbread and I thought it would make a nice change from all of the scones I've made lately.

Brown Sugar Shortbread
From Food Network Website

• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a 10 by 14 1/2-inch sheet pan (with sides) with parchment or waxed paper.
• In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until soft and smooth.
• Add the brown sugar and mix until incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Add to the butter mixture and mix at low speed just until the ingredients are incorporated and the dough comes together.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it 5 to 10 times, just to smooth the dough.
• Reflour your work surface.
• With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to fit the sheet pan.
• To transfer to the sheet pan, roll the dough up onto the rolling pin, lift it up, and unroll into the pan.
• Using light strokes of the rolling pin, roll the dough evenly into the corners and edges of the pan, and roll out any bumps. (Or, press the rolled-out dough thoroughly into the pan with your fingers.)
• Prick the shortbread all over with a fork to prevent any buckling or shrinking.
• Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, rotate the pan and knock it once against the oven rack, to ensure even cooking and a flat surface. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until very lightly browned.
• Immediately sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly over the surface.
• Let cool 10 minutes, then cut into 1 1/2 by 3-inch bars.
• Let cool completely in the pan, then store in an airtight container.

About this recipe: something odd was going on with the butter I used in this recipe, even though in the end, it turned out alright. Or, at least, it seemed to be odd. Maybe it was because I was creaming butter with no sugar in it and I don't ever remember doing that. Anyhow, the butter appeared to have a strange consistency that reminded me of margarine for a tub. It was strange and weird.

I carried on and ignored the foreboding in my heart, adding the brown sugar and continued to beat it together with the sugar.

In the recipe on the Food Network web site they mention cinnamon in the ingredient list but fail to mention it in the recipe instructions. I've added it to the dry ingredient mixture where I'm sure it belongs.

I set my mixer to low speed and added the flour mixture in 1/2 cup increments, stopping now and then to scrape down the paddle and the sides of the bowl. It didn't take long to incorporate it all. I turned the dryish dough out onto the countertop and kneaded it a little and that brought it together into a nice, smooth dough.

I rolled it out into as close a rectangle as I could get it. I don't have the smaller, 10x14 cookie sheet they suggest you use so I used a regular 9x13 inch metal cake pan lined with parchment paper. I had a little dough left over after rolling it out to 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick. I filled in the corners with the extra and just used my fingers to pat it in, neatly filling any gaps. I pricked holes all over the surface with a fork--make sure to go down fairly deep to prevent bubbling.

I baked these cookies for 13 minutes before turning the pan and then for another 10 minutes. The color turned to a beautiful golden light brown during this time. I sprinkled the top with sugar as soon as it came out of the oven and I cooled it for exactly 10 minutes before cutting. After cutting up my shortbread into bars, I'd say I could have cooked it for the full 15 minutes and then again for 12 minutes--the centers were very slightly underdone, but since there are no eggs in this recipe I won't worry about it.

The result: I'm very happy with the way this shortbread turned out. It looks and tastes like a classic shortbread and has the definitive dry, crumbly texture that goes so well with a cup of coffee or tea. They are not overly sweet and have a decidedly rich and buttery taste punctuated by the taste of brown sugar and a hint of cinnamon. This is a great recipe for anyone who likes shortbread or who wants something sweet but doesn't have any eggs in the house.