Bake the Book: Crispy Brown Sugar Shortbread

[Photo: Evan Sung]

Buttery, crisp wedges of shortbread that take mere minutes to make? That's right, One Bowl Baking has the recipe for blessedly simple, versatile shortbread dough sweetened with warm brown sugar.

Tips: By the author's estimation, this is the easiest recipe in the book. If you move quickly, you can be pulling shortbread out of the oven in half an hour. The only thing between you and crispy, brown sugar bliss is a tart pan with a removable bottom. Not every kitchen is equipped with one, nor should you purchase one expressly for this recipe. Take sheets of folded aluminum foil to make a ring 9 inches in diameter, then place it on a cookie sheet. Fill it in with dough, and presto, you have quick and easy shortbread.

The dough can also be rolled and cut into the shapes of your choice. With Christmas on its way, stars would be a good place to start.

Tweaks: Shortbread purists, close your ears. I have a suggestion that goes against standard practices: cinnamon. Adding up to a teaspoon of cinnamon goes very well with the buttery crispness of the shortbread, and the crunch of the turbinado sugar.

As always with our Bake the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of One Bowl Baking to give away.