We have a gift exchange during our staff Christmas potluck lunch in December. I work at a church, so that’s why it’s not a “holiday” potluck. We exchange real gifts at this gathering, not white elephants (those are saved for the Epiphany party, of course). The gifts are given Secret Santa style. I was the lucky recipient of a beautifully decorative shortbread.
Since my boss, the Interim Rector, had brought an identical shortbread for us to sample during the potluck. I had a really good idea who my secret Santa was. That’s good for you and me, because I asked for his recipe which he gladly shared, adding that what makes this shortbread different is the addition of corn starch, which keeps the end product a little softer than most.
Another secret he shared is that he heats his stoneware baking molds in the oven while its preheating. When the buttery batter is patted into the hot mold, it melts enough to completely fill all of the little nooks in crannies in the detailed mold. His mold is from Hartstone. They are still making stoneware. This beautiful mold isn’t in their current inventory, but I noticed several just like this on eBay in the $20-25 range. With the heart pattern this shortbread and/or pan would make a great Valentine’s gift.
A friend brought me a tin of Walker’s shortbread when I was in the hospital after delivering our twin daughters. As an experienced mom of three, she said, “you’re going to get lots of things for the babies. This is for you. A little something to enjoy when you’re up during the middle of the night.”
Torrejon Air Base, Spain, 1983
Ever since then, shortbread has become a comfort food in my dictionary. If you’d like to give it a try, here’s the Canon’s recipe for shortbread.
Shortbread
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
Description
A rich, short pastry, delicious plain or baked in a decorative mold!
Ingredients
- 1 pound butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup corn starch
- Pinch of salt (this would be my addition because I think even sweet favors are brightened by a hint of salt)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 (may heat mold during preheat)
- Melt butter
- Add sugar
- Add flour and corn starch, one cup at a time
- The mixture will be very crumbly
- Pat into two 8 inch molds (for a thick shortbread) or into one sheet pan (will be thinner)
- Bake for 40 minutes
- Reduce heat to 300 and bake 20 minutes longer
Notes
Freezes well!
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
Julie Kenkel
I LOVE shortbread and this is so beautiful. Thanks for sharing Lois!
★★★★★
polishhousewife
My pleasure, Julie. I think it is the prettiest shortbread I’ve seen. I’m impressed with the boss’ baking ability!
David
Great… now I need a shortbread pan! 🙂 Okay, I am excited to buy a shortbread pan, but I know someone in this household who is going to say, “One thing comes in, one thing goes out.” Do you suppose an empty wine bottle will count for the one thing that goes out?
The recipe looks amazing, and knowing that it came from someone I know is even better! Thanks to both of you for sharing it!
polishhousewife
Hahaha! I’m sure we can work something out, David. I’ll blog about something that makes you need a new pan. Then you blog about something that makes me need a new pan.
My blogging friend, ButterYum has a pantry devoted to pan storage. I’m am properly jealous!
Bollywood lounge
And there comes one more tasty food. Thanks for sharing this.
★★★★★
Linda
How nice! I love shortbread. 🙂
polishhousewife
Thanks, Linda!
Namaste India
Love thus shortbread. Its really tasty.
vicki
I’ve been noticing cornstarch in shortbread recipes lately and wondered why. So glad you posted this recipe and the mold info. Absolutely gorgeous. I had no idea you had twins!
polishhousewife
No matter how much we bake, there is always a new tip out there!
Yep, 2 pregnancies, 3 daughters! 🙂
Holly
Found a Hartstone shortbread mold at a local sale. Had NO idea how to use it, but thought it looked fun. Thank you for posting this recipe!!!! Turned out perfect very first try!!!
★★★★★
polishhousewife
Congrats, Holly, on your find of the Hartstone mold! I’m delighted to hear the recipe worked well for you!
Amanda
I love this recipe, it’s the first I’ve seen specifically made to suit a short bread pan. But this makes me cry.
I live in Australia and no one really stocks those types of pans here. I have found a few companies that will ship them but it would cost $50+ which I just can not justify spending as it is more than the pan costs.
I might have to see if someone I know in America can see how much they could ship it to me for, but I’m so scared it’ll be broken during shipping.
polishhousewife
The next time someone comes to visit!
Janine
I was lucky enough to find one of these beautiful molds in a second hand/antique centre. Just about to give it a go. Fingers crossed.
Lois Britton
What a find!
Margaret Longhurst
Where can I buy this mold?
Margaret Longhurst
Sorry I don’t know what you mean,I just want to know where I can purchase this mold mine has finally broken
polishhousewife
Hi Margaret, the last time I looked, the Hartstone company no longer made this exact mold. I suggest that you search eBay for Hartstone mold to see if you can find one this this. Good luck in your search!
Dilice Bayley
I still have shortbread in oven so I don’t know how they taste yet but I was looking at other recipes and most said to prick dough with fork before baking, is this a necessary step for this recipe? Also the alternating ingredients instruction was confusing, I added the sugar to butter and then alternated corn starch and flour. Wondering how long to leave in molds and any tricks for removing them. The dough was beautiful and it smells great, this is the first time I have baked shortbread. Thank you.
Dilice
polishhousewife
Hi Dilice, let me know if your shortbread bubbled up as it baked. This is the reason for pricking with a fork. I’m afraid I haven’t made the recipe, I just ate it. The author didn’t give me that step in his recipe, but if your dough bubbles. I’ll certainly add it. Thanks for investigating for the rest of us. Fingers crossed!
Dilice Bayley
Turned out delicious,
polishhousewife
I’m so happy to hear that, congrats on a good bake!
Georgia
Thank you for this delicious recipe. The tip about preheating the shortbread molds along with the oven gave this bake a beautiful and successful outcome!
I was ready to give the molds away. I’ve never had a successful release of shortbread from a mold. Thank you again! Shortbread. It’s what’s for Christmas this year.
★★★★★
polishhousewife
That’s great news, Georgia. I’m so happy to hear it worked well for you!
Josephine
I have 2 of these stoneware molds. The are very popular in Scottish cookie baking. I’ve made shortbread many times but without the cornstarch. I think this ingredient will give the cookie a finer texture. I will make two molds tomorrow for a church sale. I will use Irish butter! Thanks for the recipe, your story, and the tips! Merry Christmas!
Gail Lam
The original recipe from Hartstone that comes with the mold is different .
1cup butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup AP flour
Pinch of salt
I process everything in a FP then press into the buttered mold as pictured and bake on 325* for 40-45 minutes
Esther Good
I haven’t made the recipe yet…. why are some recipes calling for granulated sugar and others want you to use powdered sugar?
polishhousewife
The recipe was told to me as granulated sugar.
Dorothy
I’ve used granulated, brown, and powdered sugar at different times. All are delicious.
★★★★★
Suzanne L.
This recipe was delicious. I have one Hartstone shortbread mold I’ve had since the 90’s, with a beautiful thistle pattern. I cut your recipe in half and it fit perfectly into the one mold. It even released perfectly which is unusual. Outstanding and I’ll never make shortbread any other way! Thank you!!
★★★★★
Dorothy
Just a warning. I have the same shortbread mold. It is a gateway mold! I now have four molds. Brown Bag also makes lovely molds. I have their Winnie the Pooh mold and several cookie molds.
★★★★★