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Melt-in-the-Mouth Shortbread
1 c cold salted butter, cubed
2/3 c icing sugar
½ c rice flour
1 ¾ c cake and pastry flour
In food processor cream butter and icing sugar. Add flours and pulse until dough pulls away from side. Remove to board and gently knead until dough is smooth. Add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky. Roll out to ½ inch thickness and cut into rounds. Prick each cookie with a fork a few times. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet (one inch apart) in pre-heated 325-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Makes about 2 dozen 1 ½ inch cookies.
Jam Diagonals
1 c butter, softened
½ c granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
½ c raspberry or apricot jam
2-2 ½ c all-purpose flour
Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Gradually stir in flour. Divide dough into 6 even portions. On lightly floured board roll each portion into a 9 inch rope, then slightly flatten. Place on grease cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Make a depression all the way down the center of each strip and fill this depression with jam. Bake in pre-heated 350-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely and cut into diagonals. If you want to ice cookies, mix icing sure with lemon juice and drizzle over cookies. If you want to make ahead and freeze, leave in strips on cookie sheet, freeze, then wrap and cut just before serving. Makes about 4 dozen.
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