Getting into the Holiday Spirit: Scotch Shortbread Cookies

Are you still in a Thanksgiving coma?  Belly full from turkey and pie?  Heart warmed from spending time with those you love?  For me, Thanksgiving is the start of the winter holiday season (of course, typically Chanukah falls after Thanksgiving, so this year is a little wonky.)

Following Thanksgiving, we get our tree, decorate our house, and bake bake bake bake bake.  With Chanukah coming early, I've already been a bit of a cookie baking machine, but stick around and you'll see lots more holiday cookies being featured.  

My third holiday cookie of the season are these shortbread cookies.  Thatmom makes fantastic biscotti but these are my pick for not too sweet cookies to serve along tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.  I prefer their flakiness (from using powdered sugar in place of granulated) to the harder biscotti.

I whipped up a batch of these with Thatbaby right before we headed over to the Pirates new place, so I brought them along with us.  The kids were a fan, and with only half a cup of sugar in the entire batch, I don't have to feel too guilty about serving them alongside healthier options like apples, oranges, and smoothies.  Mrs. Pirate really does provide a fantastic spread for little guys.

Scotch Shortbread Cookies

1/2 lb butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cream the butter in an electric mixer.
2. Add the sugar, and beat until combined.
3. Mix the flour and salt and add to the butter, beating until combined.
4. Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into rectangles and place on a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet.  Poke the rectangles with a fork and bake for 20-25 minutes.