I have always been a big fan of shortbread. Good shortbread is a combination of creamed butter and sugar with enough flour to make it into a dough. The trick to great tasting shortbread though is the quality of butter and vanilla that you use. When you are looking for vanilla, get pure extract as opposed to imitation. Likewise, buy unsalted butter rather than using a butter substitute. This recipe makes a fantastic after school treat, in part, because it goes together so easily. However, it’s tasty enough to serve to guests.
For the shortbread you will need:
2 cups butter; softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
For the topping you will need:
1 1/2 cups of rolled oats
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp. all purpose flour
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. (12 oz.) of semisweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup whole pecans; chopped
Directions:
First, make the shortbread. Start by creaming together the brown sugar and butter. Cream the mixture until it is smooth and well blended. Add the flour, about a cup at a time, and mix together until well blended. Use your hands to knead the dough. Roll the dough on a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan lined with foil. Bake at 325 for about 5 minutes. (Cookie will not be done.)
Turn oven up to 350.
In a large bowl combine oats, sugars, and flour. Stir in melted butter, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Spoon mixture over shortbread evenly.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until oat mixture bubbles and is lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Return to oven for 1 minute. Spread the melted chocolate over top to cover. Sprinkle evenly with pecans. Cool in pan on wire rack.
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Valorie Delp shares recipes and kitchen tips in the food blog, solves breastfeeding problems, shares parenting tips, and current research in the baby blog, and insight, resources and ideas as a regular guest blogger in the homeschooling blog. To read more articles by Valorie Delp, click here.