Brown Sugar Shortbread

Brown Sugar Shortbread - made dough May 29, 2021 from Sally's Baking Addiction 

I uncharacteristically only have one picture of this shortbread and that's only because I was doing a baking marathon for Soldiers Angels' care packages and snapped pics of all the different cookies going into the packages. Which is a shame because this was an excellent shortbread cookie and deserved much more pictorial glory than I can offer.

I love shortbread and this combines the best of all worlds with a crisp texture or "snap" of a good shortbread and the caramelized buttery goodness of a good butter cookie. It's also great if you need a lot of cookies and are doing marathon baking sessions because you can make the dough ahead of time, shape into logs, chill or freeze then, when you're ready to bake, slice thickly and bake. This is the rare time I don't recommend underbaking because you want to bake these long enough to get that crisp texture. No muss, no fuss and really excellent flavor and texture. It's also good for people who prefer more plain cookies or have nut allergies.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

coarse sugar for rolling, optional

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, light brown sugar and dark brown sugar until combined and creamy. Add vanilla extract and mix to combine.
3. Add dry ingredients in two additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
4. Divide dough in half on parchment paper and shape each half into an 8-inch log, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Roll in parchment paper and place in ziploc freezer bag. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Dough can also be frozen but thaw in the refrigerator for an hour before baking to make slicing logs easier.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap logs from parchment paper and roll in coarse sugar, if using. Slice each log into equally thick slices. Evenly space on baking sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.