Lemon shortbread cookies. There was something about them that tasted familiar, and then I realized I was remembering those cookie tins that feature the Union Jack or other British symbols, with their cookies shaped into wreaths or other cutout patterns, and they are called “butter cookies” or something similar. I had never tried a homemade version, though, and they are good to have for breakfast or with tea; they have a crunchy texture like you’re biting into pockets of butter.
The ingredients don’t include much other than butter and flour: Cream 2 sticks of butter with ¾ cups of sugar and a little salt, then add 8 ½ ounces of flour. Freeze for 30 minutes, then bake at 300 for about another half hour minutes until firm; soft cookies you eat right out of the oven these are not. I added lemon and lemon zest, but not enough to affect the flavor. Unlike most cookies, they keep getting better with age.
(Photo: Pastry shop, Zaragoza, Spain.)
365 Days of Food 