Shortbread

Shortbread
by Jackie Redrupp

Ingredients (Makes about 6 dozen pieces):

• 1 lb. chilled butter
• 1 cup superfined sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
  
• 3/4 cup rice flour or arrowroot flour
• 5 cups all purpose flour (bleached)
• Blanched almonds split in half

Directions:

1. Dice chilled butter into 1/2 inch cubes. Place in bowl. Add sugar, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat mixture until it is light and fluffy.
2. Combine flours and add gradually to creamed mixture. The dough will be crumbly. Butter and lightly flour a large cookie sheet and a 10 or 12 inch pizza pan. Preheat oven to 325degF.
3. Spoon 1/3 of dough in to prepared pizza pan. Push, pat and roll until it is smooth and covers the pan uniformly. With a sharp knife cut circle in to 8 or 12 wedges and decorate with split almonds.
4. Put remaining 2/3 of dough on to cookie sheet. Push, pat and roll the dough until it covers the sheet uniformly. With a sharp knife , make 3x1 inch rectangles(fingers). Place a split almond at the center of each.
5. Prick the shortbread all over with the tines of a fork. Bake in the middle of preheated (325degF) oven for 20minutes or until just lightly colored.
6. Remove from the oven and immediately run sharp knife through all the divisions. Let cool for 5 minutes. Using a spatula transfer pieces to a cooling rack. Store in tightly covered containers.