Sometimes life imitates art.  Take for instance, this cookie that I found at church refreshment hour and the www.CookiesbyDave.com logo.  Eerily similar.

Sometimes international relations imitate cookies.  Take for instance, shortbread is found in both France and Scotland.  Little known fact, the EU was originally proposed to unify cookies across Europe.  #TheTruth

Sit back and join me on a journey.  A journey across Europe.  A journey of shortbread.

The French entry.  A rolled cookie.  Round and somewhat complex.  Complete with an egg wash and lines from the tines of a fork.

The Scottish entry.  A bar cookie.  Square and somewhat simple.  Complete with sprinkled sugar and impressions from the tip of a fork.

Both shortbread.  Both European.  Both wonderful.  Enjoy!

FRENCH SHORTBREAD (a.k.a. Sablés)

10 Tablespoons Butter

½ cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 cups Flour

½ teaspoon Baking Powder

¼ teaspoon Salt

Egg Wash Ingredients

1 Egg

1 Tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream

 

Cream butter and sugar.

Mix in egg and vanilla extract.

Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt.

Roll dough out to ¼ inch thick.

Cut into circle using a 2 inch diameter biscuit cutter.

Place circles of shortbread dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Use the tines of a fork to make a crisscross pattern on top of the shortbread circles.

Refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the egg wash by combining the egg and cream.

Brush over the top of the shortbread.

Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.

 

Makes about 24 cookies.

Revised Source:  “Sablés” recipe on www.JoyofBaking.com.

 

SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD

1 cup Butter

¼ cup Powdered Sugar

¼ cup Sugar

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1½ cups Flour

¼ teaspoon Salt

Sugar for sprinkling on top

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream butter, powdered sugar, and sugar.

Mix in vanilla extract.

Mix in flour and salt.

Press dough into an ungreased 9”x9” square baking pan.

Sprinkle sugar on top.

Bake for 45 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

While cooling, cut into 25 squares and lightly poke a fork twice into the top of each square.  This will make a cute dot pattern on the shortbread.

Allow shortbread to finish cooling completely.

 

Makes 25 cookies.

Revised Source:  “Shortbread” recipe found on page 22 of my original cookie cookbook, “Today is a Great Day for a Cookie” (as always available for free download at www.CookiesbyDave.com).