Strawberry Shortbread
Serves: 25
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅓ cup freeze-dried strawberries
  • ¼ cup diced fresh strawberries
  • Strawberry Sugar (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: sliced fresh strawberries and fresh mint leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan. Spray with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and granulated sugar with a mixer at medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add lemon zest, and beat until combined.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Place freeze-dried strawberries in a resealable plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin until powdered. Add powdered strawberries to flour mixture.
  4. With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in two portions, beating well after each addition. Add fresh strawberries, beating until combined.
  5. Turn out dough onto a heavily floured surface. Using well-floured hands, knead dough 5 to 10 times, approximately 1 minute. Press dough into prepared pan.
  6. Bake until shortbread is lightly golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
  7. Using excess parchment as handles, remove from pan. Using a chef’s knife, cut into 25 squares. Sprinkle with Strawberry Sugar. Garnish with strawberries and mint, if desired.
Recipe by TeaTime Magazine at https://teatimemagazine.com/strawberry-shortbread/