SPICED SHORTBREAD

We all have a treasured shortbread recipe—but warm winter spices add a lovely change to an old favorite.  Spiced cookies often have fruits and nuts, but this recipe lets the spice flavors speak for themselves.  Use all the spices mixed, or just your favorites.

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 6 tblsps dark brown sugar
• 2 tblsps white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ground cloves to taste, to equal about 1 1/2  teaspoons of ground spices

Whisk together the flour, sugars and spices.  Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter until mixture is like fine crumbs.  Sprinkle vanilla over mixture, pack the crumbs into a ball then knead lightly until smooth.  On lightly floured parchment paper, flatten ball then roll the dough into a fairly even circle to fit on a cookie sheet.  Prick top lightly with fork to create a pattern.  Place dough and paper on baking sheet and slice into 16 wedges (a pizza cutter works here)—leave the circle intact.  Bake in a pre-heated 325’ oven for about 25 minutes, until the center is set.  Cool for 5 minutes then cut the wedges again and transfer, on the parchment, to wire rack to finish cooling.

The Kitchen Hive