COUNTDOWN: nine

Nine days left til Christmas!

Baking!  Baking!  Baking!

Bake your recipient their favourite treat.  It's personal.  It's delicious.  And you know it will be very much appreciated.

Here's a quick little recipe for shortbread.... quick little story:  I had never made shortbread before last week.  For some reason, I always thought it was too finicky to make.  But, in my pursuit to please my guy, I decided to dive in.... and now I'm left feeling rather silly for thinking it was so difficult.  Seriously, 5 ingredients and you have one of the lightest cookies with just the perfect hint of sweetness and buttery-ness (yeah... it's a word)....

You'll need:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup extra fine sugar (you can use regular granulated, you may just get a little crunch)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Whip the butter for 5-10 minutes, yes, that long... please use a hand blender or a stand mixer and save your arms....  Whip, whip, whip!

Add the sugar.... mix, mix, mix for 5-10 minutes more....

Add your yolk and extract.... whip for another 5-10.... oh, my aching arm!

Then do 3 to 4 additions of the flour, using your trusty hand blender for a few minutes between each addition.  By this time, your arm should feel like it's suffered some kind of ancient body stretching torture.... that's when you know you've beaten it enough!

No need to complicate things here, roll into 1 inch balls, throw them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and squish them down with a fork, bottom of a glass or anything close by.  You're looking to flatten them to about 1/4" thickness.... Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven til the edges are just getting lightly browned.  Again, people, I cannot give you an exact time as ALL ovens vary.... mine runs a little on the hot side, so my cookies are generally finished 4-6 minutes before suggested bake times.  For example, these cookies for me, are ready to take out around 8 to 9 minutes.  Use your judgement, and keep a close eye :)

When all is said and done.... package these little morsels of melt-y marvellous-ness in a unique way.... the thought and effort will be welcomed and enjoyed!

Have a fantastic Thursday folks!  ;)