Shortbread Cookies? Yes please!

If there's one cookie i can't resist, it has to be Shortbread biscuits. If there's a mix pack, it will be the Shortbread ones that will be gone first. Even though the buttery goodness is oh so bad for you, it tastes oh so good. Much like everything else that's bad for you!

But my love for baking cakes have resulted in J and i gaining a few rolls here and there.

Uh oh.

Well mainly because we have no control and end up finishing the whole thing the next day.

Not good.

So my last cake baked was 10 days ago. Yes i made it to 10 days, i'm so proud. Like an addict, i find myself twitching at the thought of mixing the ingredients and devouring it all soon after.

But i've taken a break in the cake baking department.

Instead i've moved on to cookies. More specifically, Shortbread cookies.

Although i'm not quite sure how much healthier they are but at least they're in smaller portions.

I took the recipe from Joy of Baking, as they have never failed to impress me. I made some adjustments and since i only had one baking tray, i halved the ingredients. I found out that the added cornstarch gives it that melt-in-the-mouth texture that i love so much!

Shortbread Cookies
Makes about 18

100 grams Flour
30 grams Cornstarch
110 grams Margarine [the recipe calls for butter but i used ALSAN-S margarine instead]
30 grams Icing sugar
1/8 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence.

Instructions;

1. Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper.
   
   
2. Beat the margarine with a handmixer until smooth and creamy.
   
   
3. Add the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla essence.
   
   
4. And with a spatula, gently stir in the dry mixture [flour, cornstarch, salt] until just incorporated. If it's too sticky, you can add some flour but theoretically, it should feel like soft Play-Doh.
   
   
5. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least an hour.
   
   
6. Preheat oven to 175˚C.
   
   
7. When ready, lightly flour the surface and roll out the dough. Then lightly flour a cookie cutter and place each piece on the prepared baking sheet.
   
   
8. When complete, put the whole tray in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
   [This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked].
   
   
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes in the middle row, or until cookies are very lightly browned on the edges and the surface makes no indents.
   
   
10. Transfer to a wire rack, or in my case just another tray and once they are semi-cooled down sprinkle icing sugar all over them.
    
    
11. Once completely cooled, store them in an air tight container.