shortbread crust
This recipe is the every day basic for making classic, vegan, and/or gluten free shortbread crust, as a base for any variety of bars, tarts and pies. I recommend using using this recipe for one small 8"x8" pan, or doubling this for pie pans or larger sheet pans when making bars.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter - cut into pats and melted 8 tablespoons or 1 stick. If switching out with vegan butter, you may need to add 1/4 cup additional flour
- 1 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour You can switch out for 1:1 ratio gluten free flour for best results.
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the butter into pats and place in a bowl for melting. It should be mostly-melted, with mostly liquid and some very soft pat pieces. You can melt using the microwave at 30 seconds at a time, or a double broiler method over a stove top.
- To the butter, add the sugar, salt pure vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Pour this mixture on top of the measured flour.
- Combine everything together. It will be a bit crumbly but is easy to bring together.
- Prepare a baking pan or surface with parchment paper. Pour the shortbread dough and form it evenly to the bottom. Use a inverted spatula and apply pressure so that it's smooth and even.
- The shortbread will want to rise up and distort from being level while baking. To avoid this, poke holes evenly and throughout the top of the shortbread, using a toothpick or fork
- Bake for 10-15 minutes so that there is a golden color at the corners and at the bottom. A little more or less time will be needed, depending on how thick or thin you lay down the crust. Allow to cool before adding filling or topping. Cut with a sharp knife and serve.
