makes 1 (8-inch) pan
If I had a signature dish, it would be shortbread. Buttery, rich, crumbly shortbread is not only pretty much my favorite thing on earth to eat, it’s also about the easiest thing a pastry cook can make. And I’ve made it in every possible variation I can think of, and as new ideas pop into my head, I will practically run to the kitchen to bake up those, too. Right now I’ve got a coconut curry shortbread idea floating around up there.
This shortbread recipe is one of my all-time favorites, a classic and gorgeous combination of pistachio nuts and orange blossom water. But remove the pistachios and orange blossom water, and the recipe can be a blank canvas for all kinds of variations. Flavor it with vanilla, rose water, or any aged spirit, or swap in another type of nut. Spices are marvelous—grated nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, mace, cardamom, alone or in combination—as are citrus zest and a splash of juice.
But this particular combination reminds me of Morocco, where I’ve never been but dream about in sweet, perfumed reveries. This shortbread is as close as I’ve come, but until the day I take the trip, it’s not a bad recompense.
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ cup shelled, raw pistachios
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 teaspoons orange blossom water
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. In a food processor, combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, pistachios, and salt. Pulse until the nuts are coarsely to finely chopped. Pulse in the butter and orange blossom water until a moist ball forms.
3. Press the dough evenly into an 8-inch-square baking pan. Prick the shortbread all over with a fork. Bake until barely golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Slice the shortbread while warm.