Okay, for shortbread I'm a purist. I will only make my Scottish nanny's recipe ,which is just salted butter, bleached flour and cane sugar, with additional salt for pan style rather than cookies. :) But unsalted? If you have a medical issue, you probably shouldn't be eating cookies anyway. ;) Never any vanilla or other flavorings unless it's called Vanilla Shortbread or Almond Shortbread, or whatever, though colored sugar or sprinkles or icing are fine. :) Naked are actually the best. :)

Same with other cookies and cakes. There are scientific reasons tor it. Structural. I tried looking it up, though, and just found a 'bot war. People who aren't savvy about texture, loft, etc., and aren't great tasters might not miss it, but there is purpose there.

Thanking on what you said made me realize why I found the popsicle remarkable: there's nothing structural about the salt. It could lower the freezing point, but my freezer is very cold and the popsicles aren't big--standard flat molds. And there wasn't that much salt! So it was entirely about depth of flavor.

“Naked are actually the best.”

Hmmm…interesting but it just depends on flavor preference. Not a fan of almond extract but it’s got to have at least some vanilla for me. I don’t recall ever seeing a shortbread recipe made with vanilla being called ”Vanilla Shortbread.” Most are just ”Shortbread.”

I’m guessing the small amount of fleur de sel you used would only enhance flavor. Good thinking!

Oh, yes. What my nanny called it was "Scottish Shortbread." To me, if there's vanilla in it, it's not really shortbread, but the world is broad and I'm sure those without the Scottish nanny shaping their lives, have other ideas. :) By naked, I meant without sugar toppings and decorations. And almond should never be made with extract. Almond meal works.

BTW, and thinking of salt levels, wasn't it you who shared the bleu cheese shortbread recipe? Those are awesome!

I’m with you, plllog, traditional shortbread is just salted butter, flour and sugar. NO flavourings.

I use salted butter and no added salt in all my baking. No one has ever complained, most have been extremely complimentary, and I’ve even won prizes. So.

When we were travelling in Europe years ago, we were staying in self catering places and buying groceries. We accidentally bought unsalted butter and it was just weird on bread, so we had to salt it ourselves.

Same for me, Colleen, no complaints. Years have shown me there are varying opinions regarding shortbread. It’s good we all have a recipe we prefer. Maybe we can agree on the salted butter. Definitely NO wiggle from me on that.

I do use a more stable recipe for tart crusts than the one I use for cookies. Ina Garten’s shortbread is one I like for tarts.

I use unsalted in a lot of baking but merely to control the amount of salt, not eliminate it. I'm sure there are other things that have no salt, but the only one I can think of is Tuscan bread. :)

“…wasn't it you who shared the bleu cheese shortbread recipe?”

Yes, they’ve been a favorite for many years. I always seem to make them more in fall and winter. Great appetizer.👍🏻

No salted butter fir me! Tastes weird!

That's okay, Sherry. You can (and I'm sure you do) just add salt as you like. The standard proportion (I've read) is 1/4 tsp for 1 stick (quarter pound). Or use your own taste. I mostly bake with unsalted and add my own salt, but the shortbread doesn't taste right that way. Maybe it's iodized that's the problem. I often have non-iodized basic salt granules for cleaning veg--I should try it in shortbread and see.

I never buy iodized salt. If you eat seafood, you do not need the iodine anymore.

I like salted butter. We just purchased sweet & salty almond granola bars...6 boxes of them! We work up a sweat at the gym...never a problem with too much salt in our diet. I eat salted tortilla chips and use a ton of seasoning salt in anything I bread....pork or chicken. I do take a kelp tablet once a day for the iodine. I don't always eat enough greens. Today I fixed smoked turkey sandwiches, with mayo, mustard, tomato & lettuce. For dinner I might have a yogurt. That's not hitting ALL the food groups in quantities specified by the "Eatwell Guide". :0)

I don't eat that much seafood and I'm allergic to fish. I'm just as happy to use iodized for most things. It works. But I put flor de sal (Spanish speaking fleur de sel) in the strawberry pops for a good reason!!

plllog, I’m fine with iodized, too.

“I like salted butter.”

Always plenty at our house.👍🏻

I do like salted caramel but rarely eat any sweets so don't get to eat it much.

Interestingly I had never heard of iodised salt before I lived in Germany. You'd be hard put to find it in shops here as our soils and traditional diet have historically provided enough iodine. Furthermore the drive to reduce salt intake means that no kind of salt is promoted in health campaigns. That said salted butter is the commonest here and that's what I buy.