SHORTBREAD, 10 WAYS

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups/250g

2/3 cup/150g

¾ tsp

2 sticks/1 cup/226g all-purpose flour granulated sugar fine salt cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks

PREPARATION:

1. Heat oven to 163C. Pulse together flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some of the crumbs start to come together, but don’t overprocess; the dough should be somewhat crumbly. (You can also mix the dough in a bowl using two knives or a pastry cutter.)

2. Press dough into an even layer in an ungreased 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan, or a 9-inch pie pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes for the 9-inch square or pie pan, 45 to 50 minutes for the 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm.

Tips:

Here are nine variations for the master shortbread recipe above. Scottish shortbread: Use 1½ cups all-purpose flour and ½ cup white rice flour. Tender shortbread: Substitute powdered sugar for the granulated sugar, and 1/3 cup cornstarch for 1/3 cup of flour.

Vanilla bean shortbread: Split a vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use the back of a knife to scrape out the pulp. Pulse the pulp into the flours ugar mixture before adding butter. Or add up to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract with the butter.

Citrus shortbread: Add 1 to 1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon, lime or orange zest with the flour. Add up to 1 teaspoon orange blossom water with the butter if desired. These are classic with poppy seeds. Nut shortbread: Grind ½ cup toasted nuts in the food processor with the flour before combining with remaining ingredients. Spice or seed shortbread: Add up to 1 teaspoon spices, like ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or cardamom, or seeds like caraway or anise. Or add up to 3 tablespoons poppy or sesame seeds.

Brown or maple sugar shortbread: Substitute 1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar or maple sugar for the granulated. This yields a slightly softer shortbread. Cornmeal or whole wheat shortbread: Substitute up to ½ cup cornmeal or whole wheat flour for ½ cup of all-purpose flour. Season with spices, seeds, citrus or rosemary if desired.

Buckwheat shortbread: Substitute up to 1/3 cup buckwheat flour for 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour.