Shortbread Squares

This is a simple bar cookie that keeps well, so they can be made in advance of serving.  The dough bakes for a long time at a low temperature, so it is good to review the whole recipe to make sure you have plenty of time. As with most shortbread cookies, these are not too sweet and have a very crumbly texture. They are perfect alongside fruit or frozen desserts and with a cup of tea or coffee. This recipe makes about 35 squares.

Shortbread Squares
adapted from Great Recipe cards/Section 26-card 86 

Ingredients:
4 cups plus 2 tbs all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 cups butter
Colored sugar or confectioners sugar for decorating

Preheat oven to 275 degrees and butter the inside of a 9 X 13 inch pan.  Also line the bottom with parchment, leaving the two long sides as overhang for handles.  Butter the  top side of the parchment lining the bottom of the pan.

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add all of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until all flour is distributed.  Put dough in pan and take a sheet of wax paper and place over the dough.  Then flatten the dough by pressing with your hand on the wax paper.  Press out to all corners and try to get it as even as possible. Make indentations on top of the dough with a fork to insure that no bubbles form when baking.

Place pan in oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours.  Take pan out and and cut into squares.  Turn oven off and place pan back in oven.  Leave in oven until the inside oven is cool.

Remove pan and sprinkle with sugar.  Using the parchment "handles" remove all the squares from the pan.  The squares should be placed in airtight containers for storing.