"This was a Christmas teatime favorite when I cooked at castles in Scotland years ago," says Doon Fergusson-Howlett of Dublin, Ireland."My sister serves these as petits fours, and they are always highly praised."
Recipe information
Total Time
1 3/4 hours
Yield
Makes about 5 dozen
Ingredients
For shortbread base:
For topping:
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan.
Make shortbread base:
Step 2
Sift together dry ingredients and blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press evenly into bottom of pan (base will be thin). Bake in middle of oven until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
Make topping just before shortbread is done:
Step 3
Melt butter in a small saucepan and whisk in remaining ingredients until smooth. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring, 30 seconds.
Pour topping:
Step 4
Remove shortbread from oven and pour topping over, tilting pan to cover shortbread evenly. Cool in pan on a rack, then cut into small rectangles (8 rows lengthwise and 8 crosswise).
