Kristeva's Classic Shortbread

The secret to good shortbread is the correct ratio of fat, sugar, and flour. And, the secret to great shortbread is starting with the finest ingredients you can find and afford and … drumroll please, cornstarch. The wee bit of added cornstarch is the key to taking the love of shortbread to an obsessive I-can’t-stop-at-just-two (who-are-we-kidding) four cookies.

Ingredients

1 C Butter, softened (no, margarine will not do)

2/3 C Icing sugar (this also is key to the melt-in-your-mouth-OMG texture)

1 3/4 C sifted flour

A pinch of fine sea salt

Directions

Step 1: cream butter

Step 2: sift dry ingredients 4 times (don’t question it, just do it, trust the process)

Step 3: add the dry ingredients to the butter in 4 stages. Do not over-mix. Stop when the batter comes together.

Step 4: place dough on parchment paper and shape into a log. Roll up and store in fridge for 30 mins (or overnight).

Step 5: unroll log and slice into 1/4” discs and bake at 325 for 10-12 mins.

Do not over bake!