If she doesn't want to give out the recipe, she may not be telling all when it comes to ingredients.

Also, light brown sugar would give a little different result than dark brown would.

Here is a link to a recipe I found in a BHG magazine last year and tried. They are very good. And a bit different than most shortbread.

Hopefully someone else will have more ideas for you.

Rusty

Here is a link that might be useful: BHG Brown Sugar Shortbreads

Thanks Rusty. I did think about the fact that maybe she wasn't telling me everything that was in it, but I really don't think that is the case. I did wonder about salt though. Mine just seems to have less flavor--this is probably a dumb question, but how does salt affect the flavor of shortbread? Also, does how soft the butter is affect the outcome of the texture? How about refrigerating the dough? I know you said the light vs. dark brown sugar would make a difference also--would the dark add more flavor? This is driving me crazy!! Shortbread is such a simple thing but there are SO many variations!

Thanks again for taking the time to respond!

Here is my shortbread recipe.

Shortbread Petticoats

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1 3/4 cup all purpose unbleached flour
pinch of salt
parchment paper

Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix.

Add rice flour and salt, then regular flour. Mix thoroughly.

Divide and form dough into 4 balls. May need to be refrigerated for 10-15 minutes if very soft. Flatten each ball on parchment paper with floured rolling pin making
a circle about 3/8" thick. Prick surface of dough with a fork 6-8 times. Use fork tines to mark the edge of the circle all around.

Place parchment paper with dough on cookie sheet. Bake 45-50 minutes at 300 degrees until slightly browned around the edges.

While still very warm, cut each circle into 6 wedges.

2 dozen cookies

I think salt in cookies, shortbread included, is like salt in anything else.
It is a flavor enhancer.
There was a thread on that recently, I think Grainlady posted a more scientific explantaion.

As for the difference between using light and dark brown sugar, the dark brown has a more intense brown sugar flavor. If that makes any sense to you.
I used to use dark brown in everything that called for brown sugar, but for the last few years have switched to the light brown exclusively.
It seems more 'delicate' in flavor and the end product is a bit lighter in color, too.

I'm not good at explaining things. Hopefully Grainlady will pop in here & help out.

Rusty

Here's a link to the thread I mentioned.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cooking/msg1209351710655.html?18
It was rejected when I tried to add it as a clickable link.

I don't know the answer to how the texture might be affected by the consistency of the butter.

I do know that chilling the dough often helps in the forming of it.

Rusty

Here is the recipe I have used successfully for years. It is simple and versatile (Martha's original recipe suggests adding to each third, such as shaved chocolate, candied orange peel, ginger, etc.)

Shortbread
from Martha Stewart 1997

1 pound unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp salt
5 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Prepare three 8" cake pans by lining bottom with parchment paper.

Cream together butter and brown sugar; beat two minutes at high speed. Add salt and flour, mixing after each cup added. When dough is well mixed and holds together, remove from mixing bowl and divide into thirds.

Place each third of dough mixture into an 8" cake pan lines with parchment paper. With dull edge of table knife, score cookie into quarters (do not cut deep into dough), then score each quarter into three wedges. Prick design in with fork or wooden skewer.

Bake in preheated oven at 275 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, until just slightly colored around the edges. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Separate cookie from pan by carefully running a table knife around edge. Place plate or cooling rack over pan and carefully turn over to remove cookie from pan, then turn cookie right side up to finish cooling.

Cool completely before storing. Wrap well in plastic wrap or cellophane or store in tin. Best if stored at least one week before serving, flavor continues to improve over two or three weeks.

Note: Shortbread freezes well.

Sorry. I should have mentioned, I have cut these cookies as well. They do not rise, so hold the shape of the cutter or pressed design reasonably well.

Since the amount of sugar in this recipe is different than those you already found, maybe it will be more like you hope for.

Good luck.

First instinct would be using brown butter instead of regular. (or butter from some other critter)

Using pastry/cake flour instead of all-purpose might be something to consider as well.

Kel, here's my favorite,

Espresso Shortbread

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
½ cup packed, light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon instant, espresso powder (I use Medaglia D'oro)
2¼ cups AP flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cream together butter and brown sugar, until fluffy.
Add vanilla extract and instant espresso. Sift together flour and salt. Add to butter mixture and beat until combined. Chill dough until firm.

Heat oven to 325°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll dough ¼" thick, and cut into 2" x 5" bars*. Dock with a fork. Score bars with a knife before baking.
Bake shortbread for 20 to 25 minutes.

*You can steer away from the traditional bars, and try cutting out shortbread rounds, or other shapes.

Btw, as failedslacker mentioned, brown butter is great in many baked goods; I even use it in mashed potatoes.
But, if you choose to use browned butter, make sure to thoroughly chill the butter after browning, before using.

Sol

I won't even go into how exasperating it would be to hear someone acknowledge the recipe isn't original but they aren't going to share it.

You can get a relative sense of ratios by comparing the butteriness of the versions you tried with what you tasted.

Some other tweaks which may make a difference:

1) Bleached all-purpose rather than unbleached.

2) Salted butter instead of unsalted.

3) Consider Medrich's technique of melting the butter (browned or not) and mixing the melted butter with the flour and sugar.

Then she recommends "resting" the shortbread a minimum of 2 hours but preferably overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

Regardless of whether you melt the butter or not, resting the dough, allowing the sugar to "dissolve" into it, can make a big difference in the texture. It tenderizes the shortbread.

4) Change mixing method. A wooden spoon or hands can yield different (and better) results than a mixer.

I hope something here helps. I also hope you end up with better shortbread than what you tasted!

Carol

Thank you all so much! I have printed out your responses and links and will be carefully reading over them again as I give it another whirl today!:) Off to the store to get more butter now!

Happy Holidays to you all!