SHORTBREAD TOFFEE BARS RECIPES

Shortbread is not only one of the easiest desserts you can possibly make, it’s also one of the most adaptable. As long as you keep the butter-to-flour ratio constant (1 stick butter to 1 cup flour), everything else is negotiable. You can reduce or increase the sugar and salt, or mix in any type of flavoring from citrus zest to vanilla to herbs and spices. You can even alter the type of flour, swapping in some rice flour for all-purpose flour for increased crunch, or cornmeal for a nubby texture. Just be cautious about adding liquid to the dough; any more than one tablespoon could interfere with the texture. Here we give a master recipe and nine variations to play around with.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Total Time 1 hours

Yield 24 servings

Number Of Ingredients 4

• Ingredients

Nutrition Facts : @context http//schema.org, Calories 130, UnsaturatedFatContent 2 grams, CarbohydrateContent 14 grams, FatContent 8 grams, FiberContent 0 grams, ProteinContent 1 gram, SaturatedFatContent 5 grams, SodiumContent 61 milligrams, SugarContent 6 grams, TransFatContent 0 grams

This basic, buttery shortbread practically begs that you customize it to suit your own tastes or pantry supplies. The dough, which comes together quickly in a food processor, is already enhanced with rosemary, but nuts, seeds, citrus zest, spices, vanilla or minced dried fruit — or a combination of some of these — all make fine additions. Scale it up, scale it down. Add more salt, or use less. As long as you maintain the butter-flour ratio (one stick of butter for every cup of flour), you are free to play around. But the shortbread is delicious all on its own: tender, rich, crumbly, irresistible.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Total Time 45 minutes

Yield One 8- or 9-inch shortbread

Number Of Ingredients 6

• Ingredients