Princess Shortbread

Princess shortbread sounds like a character from a children’s story, right? Perhaps she’s a plucky royal who prefers spending her time baking than learning to knit or play the harp and would pacify a dragon by baking him a fancy cake rather than getting some prince to slay him. Then the dragon could help provide the fire for her ovens, and they’d be lifelong friends.

Anyway…this princess shortbread is named because of the princess cake and cookie flavor I used in it, a lovely combination of vanilla and citrus available from King Arthur Flour. I tinted it pink for Valentine’s Day, and it is now on the way to my favorite little Maryland girls along with some other Valentine gifts, including Captain America and Aquaman dolls (because they only have one Ken for their Barbies, and the Ken selection at my local target was quite lacking). I like to think perhaps Princess Shortbread would hang out with Captain America and Aquaman, but that’ll have to be a story for another day.

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon princess cake and cookie flavor
• 5 ounces (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons) flour
• Pink gel food coloring

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch round cake pan.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, salt, and princess cake and cookie flavor. Add flour and beat to combine completely, then add enough food coloring to reach your desired shade of pink. The dough will be ready when it pulls away from the sides of your mixing bowl, but you may need to knead it a bit with your hands to make sure the food coloring gets distributed evenly.

Press the dough into the bottom of the cake pan, using the palm of your hand to create an even surface. Prick all over with a fork.

Bake for 32-35 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and gently loosen the sides, then allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Gently flip onto a cutting board and slice into 16 wedges, then place wedges on a wire rack to cool completely.