Vanilla Bean Shortbread

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This is the best shortbread recipe I have ever had. I found it in the May 2009 edition of cooking Light magazine. Not only is it fabulous tasting but it has half the butter that most other shortbread recipes have. The butter is replaced with vegetable oil.

Makes 24 medium sized pieces
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

    Instructions:

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9 x 12 baking pan. Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.

    Place butter in a medium bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add oil. Beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well.

    Scrape seeds from vanilla bean, and add seeds to butter mixture. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until blended.

    Spoon dough into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack. Cut into desired pieces and shapes and cool completely on a wire rack.

    Terri’s Tips:

  • Use this cookie dough for the crust of a dessert pizza. Cover with plastic and roll onto a pizza stone. Remove plastic and bake until edges are lightly browned. See my Fruit pizza recipe.

  • If you don’t have a vanilla bean use good quality vanilla extract. I did once and it worked very well.

  • Make in advance; the shortbread will store well in an airtight container for about five days.

  • The remaining vanilla bean can be used to flavor sugar, tea, coffee, vodka or rum.

    Example: Put the remaining vanilla bean into a cup of sugar. It will flavor the sugar.