Shortbread with Strawberries

I stumbled upon this dessert by accident, and I am so very glad that I did. I was looking for a good shortcake recipe to have with some strawberries - a perfect dessert to greet these early summer temperatures we've been having! But instead, I stumbled upon recipes for shortbread. I Decided to give it a go. If it didn't work, I figured I would crumble it up and serve it over the strawberries and whipped cream as a "topping". No need... I'll be making this again and serving it with even a fancy family dinner. Yeah, it's that good.

You might be more familiar with shortbread in the cookie form. Shortbread is basically three things... Flour, Sugar, and Butter. But this recipe is pressed into an elegant tart pan and lathered with honey towards the end of baking. The added flourish of salt to compliment the sweet had me Oooing and Ahhhing upon the first bite. This has got to be the easiest dessert I have ever made, and oh-my-goodness, is it fabulous!

HONEY SHORTBREAD

Fine Cooking 2008

Nonstick cooking spray

7-1/2 oz. (1-2/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

6 oz. (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 Tbs. honey

1 tsp. kosher salt

Tip: For the best results, measure your flour by weight instead of volume. (1 cup of all-purpose flour equals 4-1/2 oz.) If you don’t have a scale, be sure to use the proper technique when filling your measuring cups.

Spray a 9-1/2-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray.

In a food processor, briefly pulse the flour and sugar. Add the butter and pulse until incorporated and the mixture is sandy and uniform. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan with your fingers. There will be some loose crumbs around the edges, but most of the dough should be solid and compact. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Using the tines of a fork, dock the dough evenly all over. Bake the shortbread until golden in the center, 40 to 45 minutes.

Heat the honey in the microwave until warm and liquid but not boiling, about 10 seconds. Pour the honey over the shortbread and spread with a pastry brush over the entire surface. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the honey. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 3 minutes more.

Transfer the pan to a rack and let the shortbread cool slightly, about 15 minutes. While still warm, remove the tart pan ring and cut the shortbread into 12 wedges with a sharp knife. Cool completely before serving or storing. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week.

Serve with fresh whipped cream and strawberries.