Homemade Vanilla Shortbread Wedges
With a few small changes, this type of cookie has to be my favorite.
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer With the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric mixer
- 1 non-stick tart pan With a removable bottom
- 1 rimmed baking sheet pan
- 1 offset spatula
- 1 mesh sieve With a handle
- 1 mixing bowl Large
Ingredients
- 16 tbsps butter Unsalted plus extra butter to grease the tart pan
- 1 cup vanilla-flavored sugar (Reserve a 1/4 cup for sprinkling on top) Substitute granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Garnish:
- 8 small sprigs fresh mint
Instructions
- In the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment, place room-temperature softened butter, vanilla, and granulated sugar. Cream the butter for a couple of minutes, until all the ingredients are combined.Next, sift the all-purpose flour and kosher salt into a bowl. Slowly add the sifted flour to the creamed butter, a little at a time, until all the flour has been added.The dough is sticky, and that's what you want. Use a removable bottom tart pan. Before I add the shortbread batter to the pan, I use the excess butter that's on the wrappers to grease the tart pan.Once it's combined, transfer the shortbread dough to a buttered tart pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the dough out.Place a piece of plastic wrap over the dough. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, smooth out the dough all over the top and around the sides. Refrigerate the dough for 1/2 hour.Preheat oven to 350°F.After 30 minutes, remove the plastic wrap. Using a fork, crimp all around the outside edges of the shortbread. Next, sprinkle granulated sugar over the top of the dough. I'm using vanilla sugar for the top.Place the tart pan on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown.I like my #shortbreadcookies to be on the soft side, so 20-25 minutes is perfect for me. If you prefer a crunchier shortbread, bake for the whole 25 minutes.When the shortbread cookie is finished baking, allow it to cool completely. Then remove the bottom of the tart pan and slice into 8 equal slices.There you have it, my Homemade Vanilla Shortbread Wedges.
Notes
1) Tip: Once you use the caviar (seeds) from a vanilla pod, don't throw the pod away. To make vanilla sugar, place a seeded vanilla pod right into your sugar container. Your granulated sugar will forever be perfumed with vanilla flavor. Serve with a sprig of fresh mint and a cold glass of milk.
2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through a preferred online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.