Looking for another great cookie recipe for your Christmas gathering?

Try this great shortbread cookie recipe from author Catherine Bruns, and her book

BURNED TO A CRISP! 

Just when things appear to be going well for baker and sometime sleuth, Sally Muccio, life turns up the heat again.

It’s summertime, and the living is easy for the Muccio clan. Sal’s wedding to her beloved fiancé is rapidly approaching, Mom’s won a beauty contest, and sister Gianna is now a licensed public defender. But when the bakery Sal’s worked so hard for goes up in smoke—along with her dreams!—she’s not sure how much more she can stand. Even worse, the man found dead in the bakery’s back room is none other than Gianna’s latest client, Bernardo Napoli. 

The dough really hits the fan for Sal and Josie when they’re forced to temporarily relocate their bakery to the crazy Muccio home. Trouble is quickly stirred up as the best friend team must now contend with Sal’s father and his new mortuary business “undertakings,” a middle aged mother parading around customers in bikinis, and an Italian family hell bent on revenge. For Sal, several questions demand answers. Where has Gianna disappeared to? What role did she play in Bernardo’s death? What secret is Sal’s fiancé hiding from her? Sal is determined to find answers...before she gets burned once again! 

**Recipes Included!**

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SALLY'S SHORTBREAD

Note: These can be made as simple shortbread bars

 or as slice-and-bake refrigerator cookies.

Ingredients

1 pound butter (4 sticks)

1 cup sugar, plus additional ¼ cup for sprinkling

4 cups flour

To make simple shortbread bars:

1) Place butter in a large microwaveable bowl, and microwave on low power (20%) for 2-3 minutes until very soft and creamy but not melted.

2) Add the cup of sugar to the softened butter, and stir with a spoon until fully blended.

3) Add the flour to the butter and sugar mixture, and mix gently with your hands until it comes together into a heavy dough. 

4) Do not over mix. The dough will be very sticky. 

Place dough in an ungreased 13 x 9-inch pan, patting it down evenly and into the corners with your fingers until the surface is smooth and even.

Prick dough all over, down to the bottom of the pan, with a fork. 

Sprinkle a few tablespoons of sugar evenly over the top.

Place the pan in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. 

Bake shortbread for 5 minutes, and then without opening the oven, reduce heat to 300° and continue baking for another 50 minutes or so, until shortbread is a light golden color. 

Cut immediately into 32 bars and place on cooling rack for 15 minutes. 

Remove bars from pan, and continue to cool. Once completely cooled, place in tins or airtight containers. 

Makes approximately 32 bars.  

To make slice-and-bake refrigerator cookies:

Follow steps 1 - 4 above

After mixing the dough, separate it into 4 equal portions and place each onto a separate sheet of waxed paper. 

Shape and roll each portion of dough into an 8-inch log in the waxed paper, and fold ends closed. 

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat over to 375°

Unwrap from the waxed paper, and slice each long into 8 rounds. 

Lightly dip the top side of each cookie into the sugar, place several inches apart on two baking sheets, and prick each cookie through a couple of times with a fork. 

Bake cookies for 2 minutes then, without opening the oven, reduce heat to 300° and continue baking for another 20 minutes or so, until shortbread is a light golden color. 

Place pan on cooling rack for 5 minutes.

Remove cookies from pan, and continue to cool. 

Once completely cooled, put in tins or airtight containers.

Lisa's Tip: 

While wonderful on it's own, this shortbread recipe is the 

perfect canvas to add different flavors to. 

Lemon Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon real lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest 

Orange Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon real orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

Chocolate Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons milk (add more if needed to thin)

Using any of the above, dip the edges, tops, or one half of each cookie. 

Mmm mmm mmm!

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(Photos would be wonderful!)