Lemony Shortbread

Vermonters for the win and what to do when you crawl out from under the bed

Yes, the temperature has dropped 30 degrees since yesterday, but I’d like to remember the few nice things from this week: first snowdrops seen, birds heard chirping to each other, and my cat Clyde got within three feet of the puppy without hissing. To celebrate, I thought we all could use a bright, lemony cookie. Also, I really craved shortbread. And: no eggs in shortbread.

(Don’t worry about the price of eggs, my friends! Just a small bit of extended pain for your wallet, but it’s all for the greater good, I tell you! Unemployment rates shot up this week? Up is good! America is up! Up with People! Remember them? I don’t remember saying Zelenskyy was a dictator. Not me, no. Expensive eggs means America’s got free markets, and my friend Jeff tells me that’s all I need to care about! Yessir, right here in River City on the Potomac! Check your cabinets my friends! Never know what you’ll find there! I found an Elon in mine. He says I’m doing the best job, so he can stay! I called him President once, don’t think anyone noticed. Wear a suit and tie my friends, show some respect. I let the Hillbilly take the weekend off for skiing after his almost-as-good-as-mine master class in diplomacy. Thought he’d go somewhere nice like the Gazprom Mountain Resort, esp since I have all those half-off vouchers.)

Notes on Baking:

• Cornstarch is added to ensure a delicate and tender biscuit.

• You can use a 9 x 9” pan for delicate thin biscuits, or an 8 x 8” one for sturdier ones.

• I use a food processor to make this, which I know your Scots granny never did, but it sure makes quick work of it. You can also use a stand mixer or hand mixer.

And because this is a full-service Substack, I want to be sure you all can pronounce phrases like “Sturdier shortbread,” like a real Scot, so here’s a speedy tutorial:

Lemon Shortbread

Makes 12 to 16 shortbread

What You’ll Need:

• Zest of two lemons (about 2 tablespoons)

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons

• 4 ounces butter, cut into 16 pieces

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 100 grams flour

• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt

• 2 tablespoons (14 grams) cornstarch

What You’ll Do:

1. Lightly grease an 8 x 8” square or round baking pan. Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

2. In a food processor or with a stand/hand mixer, pulse together the sugar and the lemon zest to infuse the sugar with lemon flavor. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the mixture. Add the butter, vanilla and salt to the food processor and cream together until just blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Sprinkle the flour and cornstarch over the top of the mixture and pulse (if using food processor) 8 to 10 times to combine. The mixture will look like little pebbles.

4. Press the dough into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining lemon-sugar. Use a knife to lightly score the dough into rectangles or triangles, depending on your pan’s shape. Do not cut all the way through the dough. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until light golden. After the shortbread has rested for 15 minutes and is still warm, completely cut through the score lines. If you wait until the shortbread have cooled completely, you will end up with broken cookies. Still worthy of eating, but the Dowager will not be pleased.

ps: Vance maybe should’ve chosen somewhere other than the Green Mountain State for his weekend ski holiday. Sure, Vermonters of both sides came out to greet him, but the protest signs included some corkers: “I hope they give you fake maple syrup,” and “Vance skis in jeans.” (hat tip to Ms. Tracey N.!) For more, here’s a local report from Vermont’s independent online news organization, the VT Digger. Support local news!

Every week promises to overwhelm us with news, and hiding under the bed isn’t going to help any of us. Of course, there are times when we can’t handle the fire hose of information, so retreating from the news is what we must do to keep ourselves going for the long-haul. Please take time for yourself. Bake a cookie, share a cookie with a neighbor, notice the daffodils just beginning to push their leaves out from the ground. This week I plan to plant some basil seeds I can watch grow on my windowsill. It won’t fix anything, but it’s a very small, positive way of looking forward.

How are you doing? Let me know in the comments. Please share recommendations for books, TV, podcasts or local news organizations.

José Andres’ World Central Kitchen feeds people in need around the world. Please consider supporting their work with a donation. Also, Republican legislators are looking to cut money from the SNAP food aid program that could have dire consequences for millions of Americans. If you are able, please considering donating to your local food bank.