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Clean recipe · cooking.nytimes.com

Highlander Shortbreads

These thick and buttery shortbread rounds are a riff on the ones sold by Walker’s Shortbread in Scotland. The main point of difference between Highlander shortbread and other varieties is the sparkly Demerara sugar that coats the edges, adding a distinctive sweet crunch. Using a small percentage of rice flour or cornstarch in the dough gives these an especially crumbly-soft texture while using all wheat flour makes them slightly snappier. Use what you have, relish the results.

Original recipe: cooking.nytimes.com

Yield:
24 servings
Prep:
0 hr 10 min
Cook:
1 hr 30 min
Total:
1 hr 40 min
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Ingredients

  1. 1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter, softened
  2. ½ cup to ⅔ cup/100 to 132 grams granulated sugar
  3. ¾ teaspoon fine sea or table salt
  4. 2 cups/250 grams all-purpose flour
  5. ¼ cup/36 grams white rice flour or cornstarch (or use more all-purpose flour)
  6. Demerara sugar, as needed

Instructions

  1. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or electric beaters, cream the butter, sugar and salt until smooth, 1 to 3 minutes (colder butter will take longer). Do not overbeat; you want the ingredients blended without incorporating a lot of air into the mixture. You can also use a wooden spoon and elbow grease to do this.
  2. Add the flours and beat until the dough just comes together in large clumps, 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
  3. Form the dough into 2 fat logs about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, and wrap in parchment or plastic wrap. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
  4. Heat the oven to 325 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Put a couple of tablespoons of Demerara sugar into a small rimmed pan, unwrap the dough, and roll the logs in the sugar, adding more sugar as needed so they are well coated. Slice logs about ⅜-inch thick and arrange on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  6. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for at least a week.