Serious Scottish Shortbread

It's a must to use pure, high quality butter.Traditionally, shortbread contains no other flavor. I've been making this recipe my entire life, and the recipe was shared from my family in the Glasgow area. The addition of a small amount of rice flour gives a firmness, crispness and crunch to the cookie. Most American recipes omit the rice flour, which is what the problem is :) I don't usually put this dough in a cookie sheet to make "bars", instead I like to roll it out, as thin as possible, and use a cookie cutter. I LOVE my shortbread thins! Should you decide to do this, the baking time is VERY short, and you will need to watch them carefully so they don't burn. I always double this recipe, but then divide the dough into 2 balls, wrap in saran wrap, and keep what I am not working with in the fridge.

• Ready In: 1 hr 34 mins
• Serves: 32
• Yields: 32 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄4 cups flour
• 1⁄4 cup  white  rice flour
• 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
• 10  tablespoons  pure high grade butter
•  sanding sugar

Directions

1. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Cut butter into pieces and add. With hands knead into a firm dough resembling clay. I prefer to use the food processor to complete this on pulse, to avoid any heating from hands.
2. Place on flour board and roll 3/8 to 1/3 inch thick. Either cut with a small cookie cutter or cut with a sharp knife into small triangles or finger shapes. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Prick with a fork 3 times, and sprinkle sugar on top (fine or coarse which ever you prefer). Bake at 375 until edges turn faintly tan. DO NOT ALLOW COOKIES TO BROWN. Remove from oven, and while hot, sprinkle with more sugar if desired. Cool and store in airtight container at room temperature.