Shortbread Sugar Cookies

Shortbread Sugar Cookies - so festive!

Last week we got a pretty big snowstorm - 11 inches! My wonderful husband went out to shovel, all by himself. Yes, I am lucky that most of the time I can stay warm and comfy inside while he is out in the cold doing the physical labor! He said the snow was at least pretty light and fluffy, but was also surprised and grateful when our neighbor with a snow blower came over to help clear the driveway. So I knew I had to give him some homemade goodies as a thank you. I already had some fudge, but wanted to round it out with some cookies. These cookies hit the spot - decadent and crumbly, with fun sprinkles. They are also very easy to make, though it takes a long time to bake and cool.

Shortbread sugar cookies right out of the oven and so good!

Shortbread Sugar Cookies
based on the recipe by Chelsa Bea

Ingredients 

1 cup sugar plus 1/8 cup

4 sticks of butter (1 lb.)

2 ½ cups flour

½ cup cornstarch

Pinch of salt

Optional:

ginger or zest of lemon or orange

sanding sugar (in place of the 1/8 cup sugar)

(whatever else sounds yummy!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250°.

Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment.

Cream together 1-cup sugar and all butter. Once creamed,, slowly add the flour, then the cornstarch, then salt. If desired, mix in ginger, lemon or orange zest.

Pat it into baking pan.

Bake for 1 ½ hours at 250°.

Remove shortbread from the oven, but leave the oven on.

Cut into smaller pieces, cutting down the middle then cutting across into sections. Sprinkle cookies lightly with remaining sugar (or sanding sugar), until they are evenly coated.

Turn the oven off. Place pan back in oven for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and allow shortbread to cool, in pan, for at least 20 minutes. The cookies will be very fragile when they first come out of the oven and will easily fall apart if handled. Store in an airtight container or freeze.