I really should rename the subtitle of my blog  “Food, Family and Friends”.  I can never bake, cook or create unless I think of wonderful memories and people.  My friend Vanessa and I share a love of shortbread.  We were both devastated when Panera Bread Company stopped baking their shortbread.  They make a similar cookie, but now they frost it.  Sorry, not the same thing.

I have been trying shortbread for years.  I had shortbread with herbs, lavender, chocolate and lots of other things but I did not have the “perfect” recipe until now.  No, seriously, I love this recipe.  It takes so little time, uses so few ingredients, is so quick to make that I am almost embarrassed.

There is one ingredient that is a bit unusual, although I did have it in my pantry, it is rice flour.  Yup.  I got this recipe from a Scottsman, and after all aren’t they the experts?  Vanessa, I’ll bring some to work on Monday, but head out to Kroger and pick up a small bag of rice flour and give this a shot.

Scottish Shortbread – the official recipe.

1-2/3 cups flour

1/2 cup rice flour

8 ounces of butter (and it can be right out of the fridge — no need to let it sit out.)

1/2 cup of sugar

Combine the ingredients in the bowl of your standing mixer, with the paddle attachment and mix until it all comes together into a ball.

Press the ingredients into an 8 x 8 inch pan, prick with a fork in any pattern you want and bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 30 minutes.

Cute into 16 squares while they are still warm.  Do not remove from pan until they are completely cool.

I think shortbread is better after sitting for a day — good luck keeping it that long.