This shortbread is sooooo easy. The 10-year-old made these. They call for FOUR ingredients plus a pinch of salt, so they’re just perfect if your pantry is pretty barren but you must have a sweet treat or die. Heck, they’re even good if your pantry is bursting with dessert ingredients. We are suckers for things with a soft (assuming you don’t over-bake them), flaky bottom layer and have something to do with fruit, or preserves, in this case. You can make these any kind of shortbread you desire – apricot, peach, strawberry, raspberry, boysenberry… we used marionberry preserves. Try them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Have your kids… make the entire thing! Most kids 10 years old and over could probably tackle these suckers with very little help from you. This is such a simple recipe that it is a great one to let your kids practice on by themselves. You would be around if they needed you, of course, but if they make a mistake, which is a part of learning, it won’t be too detrimental if they had to scrap it and start again from scratch because the ingredients are so few and inexpensive. If you kids are smaller, let them work the butter in with their fingers. They will think you are the coolest.
Shortbread has been made since medieval times, and , since it is most commonly associated with Scotland, let’s learn about that:
- Golf, as we know it today, originated in Scotland.
- Scotland sells lots of seafood to Europe and around the world.
- Haggis is the national dish of Scotland. It is a savory pudding made of the organs of a sheep with onions and spices.
Adapted from: Jam Shortbread
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted åbutter, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons marionberry preserves
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8-inch-square baking dish with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang. Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Work in the butter with your fingers to make a crumbly dough.
- Refrigerate 2 tablespoons of the dough for topping. Press the remaining dough into the baking dish; freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
- Bake the crust, 15 minutes. Spread the preserves on top, leaving a ½-inch border; crumble the reserved dough on top. Return to the oven and bake until the edges are golden brown, 20 more minutes. Let cool 20 minutes, then lift out of the pan and cut into squares.
