CLASSIC GLUTEN FREE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13 inch x 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper (or waxed) paper and butter the paper.
• In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar until well combined. Beat in vanilla extract. Beat in flour. Dough will first form pea-sized lumps, then will quickly start to come together. Stop beating as soon as dough starts to form one big lump.
• Turn dough onto parchment (or waxed) paper in baking pan. Place another sheet of paper over dough. Using an offset spatula or your hands, pat dough down firmly and evenly into pan, making sure you fill in the corners.
• Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes or until shortbread is golden and edges are just beginning to color.
• Cool for about 15 minutes in baking pan, then cut as desired with a sharp knife. Allow to cool in pan before serving.
• This is another recipe that has many possible variations. Here are a few of my favorites:
• Cardamom shortbread--Omit the vanilla and substitute 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
• Chocolate chip shortbread--Beat in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips after adding the flour
• Ginger chip shortbread--Omit vanilla and substitute 1 teaspoon ground ginger, after beating in the flour, beat in 1/2 cup of crystallized ginger chips (Ginger People and Reeds both sell those packaged or simply dice your own from chunks of candied crystallized ginger).