Shortbread

• 1 cup butter, softened (use margarine for Vegan)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Cream butter.

3. Sift together remaining ingredients and blend them into the butter.

4. Pat the stiff dough into an ungreased 9 x 9-inch pan and press edges down. Pierce with a fork through the dough every half inch.

5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into squares while warm.

Really, I don’t think I could find a better shortbread recipe than this one from “The Joy Of Cooking.” The batter is really stiff, but it makes a nice, dense shortbread. For an unexpected flavor, try adding a tablespoon of food-grade lavender to the batter before baking.

Sheila