Shortbread

Name: Shortbread
Yield: Make one 10-inch tart or about 1 dozen cookies
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, preferably cultured, at room temperature; 3 tablespoons sugar; 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3/4 cup all-purpose flour; Grated zest of 1/4 lemon; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

January 24, 2012

Tarts are the desserts of my childhood. One of their appeals for me is that they can be filled with whatever you like. My good friend Magnus Hansson, a masterful baker, recently shared his foolproof shortbread recipe with me. It’s the base of my Honeyed Pear Clafouti Tart (page 212), but I fill it with everything from pastry cream to caramelized nuts.

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