stir fryi, I like Lorna Doone cookies too, and they are kind of bland in and of themselves.

I much prefer homemade shortbread, though, what's not to like about sugar, held together with butter? (grin)

That said, you can add flavors from simple vanilla to lemon, cinnamon or maple.

However, if you want them like Lorna Doone, they're going to be plain old shortbread, something I adore.

Annie

You can add all sorts of things to shortbread cookies. Finely chopped nuts, chopped toasted coconut, crushed candy canes, dried cranberries or other fruit (I mince these), slivers of candied citrus peel or crystallized ginger are some of the ingredients I've used. Of course, these additions may or may not be appreciated by the kidlet, if Lorna Doones are what she's expecting, but adults will love them!

I love a good, buttery shortbread cookie so much that when I first take them out of the oven I brush them with melted butter which soaks right in and doesn't make them greasy but gives an extra butter 'umph' to the cookie.

So how about a good recipe for these shortbread cookies?

I have to admit, I'm a purist, so I don't add the chocolate part, but these are from Ina Garten. They're awesome. I am not the only one who thinks so, she has a solid 5 star rating on the Food Network's website. I found this when I went looking for a good recipe after eating a Panera Bread cookie. These are actually better than Panera's.

Shortbread Cookies
2008, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

20 cookies

Ingredients
3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 to 7 ounces very good semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.

Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.

Mm. An earlier thread with some recipes....warning: there are pictures. Fattening ones.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cooking/msg1216574324095.html

Lemon zest and Lavender is a fave for me in shortbread.

The secret ingredient is corn starch and corn flour and a high quality unsalted butter, read the ingredients on the package..

I found this recipe that sounds legit, including cornstarch. Scroll down for recipe.

https://grandmaloyskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/12/holiday-shortbread-great-food-blogger.html

Ina Garten's shortbread is very good. You can jazz it up with some lemon zest (my favorite), chopped dried fruit (cranberries are good), nuts or dipped in chocolate as above in Ina's recipe from rob333. I tend to use her recipe more for tart crusts since it's a bit more stable than my own shortbread cookie recipe.

This is the shortbread recipe I've used for cookies forever. I've done lots of testing, and shortbread just tastes better with salted butter IMO (my apologies to the baking police). You can roll these out thinner if you like. I prefer them a little thicker. I always use a small, star-shaped cookie cutter for these at Christmas. Just like Ina's, you can jazz these up. I often double the recipe.

Shortbread Cookies

Note: The flour/cornstarch can be replaced with 2 cups of cake flour. Sprinkling the cookies with sugar is optional.

2 cups flour
2 T. cornstarch
Pinch salt
1/2 cup plus 2 T. powdered sugar
2 sticks salted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla

First, remove 2 T. from the 2 cups of flour and replace with the 2 T. cornstarch. Mix salt with flour/cornstarch. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Form into ball and wrap in plastic. Chill for about 30 minutes to an hour. Preheat oven to 325. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to about 3/8- to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with about 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake about 20 to 25 minutes. Watch carefully, you want them to just barely get color (depending on your oven, you may need a little less or more time). Remove from oven, sprinkle with fine or granulated sugar, let sit for about 10 minutes, and remove to rack to cool.

Sorry...one more. I just remembered this recipe I found online a few years ago. Another good one...if you like pecans.

Browned Butter-Pecan Shortbread

1 1/2 cups salted butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I used light brown)
3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups chopped toasted pecans

1. Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat immediately, and pour butter into a small bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify.
2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar and powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in pecans.
3. Shape dough into 4 (8-inch) logs. Wrap logs tightly in plastic wrap, and chill 4 hours or until firm.
4. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; place on parchment lined baking sheets.
5. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

So someone please explain to me the use of cornstarch in a cookie recipe. I have recently seen it called for in several different types of recipes. I really do need to get out more I know but I only knew about using it to make gravy, white or creamed sauces, or just general thickening. So what have I been missing out on all these years? I just love shortbread and some sugar cookies, is corn starch the secret to making really good Lorna Doone like cookies?

I make shortbread cookies often - they are a family favorite. I like Ina's recipe but prefer to add lemon zest in place of the vanilla. I also like brown sugar shortbread - the hint of molasses in the brown sugar provides an additional depth of flavor. I do use vanilla in those.

ETA - I have never used corn flour or corn starch in any shortbread recipe and the cookies turn out perfectly well without!

Jackie, the cornstarch/flour mimics cake flour that just results in a more tender and flaky (actually, somewhat sandy) cookie with a high fat content...typical of true shortbread. The powdered sugar also contributes to the texture. I've used the recipe I posted for years, and I can promise the cookies are very good. Also an easy dough to work with. You can certainly make shortbread w/o cornstarch. Ina Garten has a good shortbread recipe. I tend to use hers more for tart crusts since the results are a bit "sturdier" with granulated sugar and no cornstarch. I like my recipe for cookies.

ETA - Best thing is to try different recipes to see what you like. Just don't use a recipe with eggs since that's more of a sugar cookie...not shortbread.

I sell these every year for Christmas. Hands down, the best shortbread recipe I've ever made.

Best Ever Shortbread

1 cup sugar (granulated)

2 cups cornstarch

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 pinch salt

1 lb. butter, at room temperature

1 Tblsp. sugar (granulated)

1. Add sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt to a large mixing
bowl.

2. Cut butter into Tblsp. sized pieces; add to the bowl.

3. Using a spoon or your hands, mix the butter into the dry
ingredients.

4. When the butter is fully integrated, the mix will be
sand-like in texture. It will not form a 'dough'. Pour the mixture into a
half-sheet pan (18″ x 12″ x 1″), spreading evenly in the pan. Use your hands to
firmly press down on the dough, pushing the fine mixture into an even mass.

5. Using a fork, prick the cookies about 1″ apart across the
entire top.

6. Bake for 40 minutes at 325° F., then reduce heat to 300°
F. and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around
edges and across the center.

7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with 1 Tblsp. sugar. Cool
for 10 minutes before cutting with a sharp knife. Let cookies continue to cool
before removing (if you can resist).

Recipe from Eating
Out Loud.