Three ingredients. A super quick snack. Amazing deliciousness. Supplies you always have on hand…
Wait, you do have butter on hand, right? Okay. I mean, we can still be friends even if you have run out of butter, but don’t let it happen again. This has nothing to do with me and my butter obsession. I’m just looking out for you, that’s all. I have your best interests in mind. Opening the fridge or freezer to find that there is no more butter waiting – well, it is reason to panic. It’ll send a woman into a crazed frenzy, causing her to frantically toss a whole frozen chicken and eight packages of hamburger meat off a freezer shelf, hoping in vain to locate a forgotten pound of butter buried in the back under some frost.
It could be that I got going on that paragraph and couldn’t find a logical time to stop. Just save yourself (or me, apparently) the emotional trauma of running out of butter by always keeping a nice supply on hand.
So butter. You’ll need it for this recipe. You’ll also need flour and sugar. Plus a bowl, a spoon, and a pan. That’s it. Could it be any easier?
Quick and Easy Shortbread
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat for this)
1/4 cup sucanat (or brown sugar if you prefer)
3/4 cup melted butter
Blend all ingredients well. Press mixture into a 9×9 inch baking pan. Bake in a 350° oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cook and cut into 12 squares.
As you can see, this is a no-brainer recipe. I discovered it as I’ve been working on a brand new healthy snacks eBook. This shortbread can be stirred up and put into the oven within just a few minutes. We love it because it is just lightly sweetened, and deliciously buttery. It is awesome with a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon.
It is worthwhile to note that this is not a snack you’ll want to hand your kids while they are running into the living room you’ve just vacuumed. This shortbread is a bit crumbly and needs to be eaten while holding ones head directly over a plate while sitting at a table. Trust me. I know these things.
And one more thing. Go check your butter supply. We’ll all sleep better tonight knowing you’re well stocked.
‘Fess up. How much butter do you have right now?
This will work great for when I forget to get my Sunday school class a snack. First graders are easy to please! I’m sure my own boys will love them too!
And we currently have 9 pounds of butter! :)
Panic Mode,2 sticks
Four pounds, happy girl :)
WAIT! You use a bowl??? My authentic Scottish recipe from my authentic Scottish friend’s mother calls for 2 1/2 c flour, 1/2 lb butter, and 1/2 c sugar (caster, which is ground very fine) then “Heap all ingredients together on table top. Squeeze everything together with hands until thoroughly blended. Press dough into heavy baking pan to no more than 2″ thick. Prick all over with fork. Bake 45-60 min at 275-300, depending how brown you want it. Sprinkle with sugar while hot and cut into squares.” Yum.
Panic time on the butter front – only 1 lb in the freezer. Time to get half a dozen more!
I stock up when at Costco so I have 6 (2lb) packages on hand at the moment. Like to keep 8 so when I get a chance to do some serious baking and freezing I have it on hand. Like you, Laura, I don’t like to run out of butter. And I have done the frantic searching through the freezer in the past, which is why I now stock so many! Amazing how quickly they can go when you don’t keep track.
I just got my Azure order so I have 30 lbs of butter! Will have to try this recipe soon! :)
No less than 3 lbs, but it’s stock-up day at my Amish market, so I will remedy this short supply. I get all panicky when the butter supply is low…..butter may be my idol, I’m going to have to pray about this. ;-)
Shortbread is a favorite around here.
Ha ha, I had to make two pounds of butter last me the whole week and I was sweating it! Fortunately it is the weekend, time to buy more butter. I have LESS then half a stick!!
We LOVE shortbread and make it around here all the time. It’s great for a fast, easy treat to have for a tea party (but maybe you don’t do a lot of tea parties at your house, Laura, with all boys. We have three girls, so tea parties are a FREQUENT occurrence here and give us a break from our schooling in the afternoon!) Anyway … I love to use honey granules in the recipe to give it a lighter color, and I always BLEND them in the blender to powder them first (whether using sucanat or granulated honey). This helps them to combine with the butter better instead of staying in hard little pieces. I powder them for sugar cookie recipes and frostings as well.
We are a big family who likes to bake!! I almost went into a crazed frenzy when I saw only 5 pounds in the freezer! Then I found 6 more that wouldn’t fit last time I went shopping. They were hiding under some frost!! :) Thanks for the laugh – I have your shortbread in the oven right now. Thanks for sharing your discovery!
Ah, so much butter, something I can only dream of!
Currently I have 0.8 pound of goats’ butter on hand (due to allergy) and half a pound of “regular” butter for those who can eat it. Sadly the butter made from goat’s milk is very expensive, so, only in my dreams….. :-)
But, I definitely have to try this recipe soon!
I probably have 10 pounds of butter in the freezer right now. I always buy it on sale to have on hand. Now that there is only me and I can’t eat gluten, it goes a lot further. I don’t bake nearly as often as I used to. I enjoy your posts and recipes. They are (in most cases) easily converted to gluten free.
Less than a pound but its grocery day today.
And it may be shortbread heresey but if you sub some palm shortening for a bit of the butter it will be less crumbly.
Yikes, how did you know…I only have 1 1/2 pounds of butter left and I had to push my next Trader Joe’s run back to the 11th, as I am now volunteering in my daughter’s class next Wednesday. Thankfully, just a couple of rouxs and a batch of brownies for the next church fish fry on my horizon. Hopefully, I can stretch it until then.
Iowans take their love of butter seriously. Butter lovers can get deep-fried butter on a stick at the Iowa State Fair. You can also see the famous Butter Cow and other sculptures made with butter.
Alas, I only have 1 1/2 lbs of butter in the house. I may be asked to move out of Iowa.
1 pound in fridge, 2 pounds in freezer. I’m running low.
Yum! Sure looks good! I am down to 3 lbs. Time to stock up the freezer!
Blessings,
Lisa
I just got my Azure order so I have 30 lbs of butter, plus some! I love my butter!
Laura do you use salted or unsalted butter (in general).
Laura
What? Doesn’t everyone have 10-30 pounds on hand at all times? :) No kidding…I really do.
So glad you posted this recipe! I need something yummy and quick for breakfast in the morning. And if it’s a hit, this will def go on my breakfast menu rotation!! My girls will love that they can make this all by themselves! And I think I have around 24 sticks of butter…. Give or take. :)
10.5 lbs! Thank you, Azure! :)
I’m trying this shortbread recipe right now (in the oven!). I just ordered from Minerva, so I have 30lbs of butter on hand, too.
Freshly stocked on all the ingredients. Just made your applesauce bread as muffins for breakfast in the morning.
I only have 5 pounds of butter because we had run out! Disgraceful, huh? And i call myself a baker! So, I’m building my supply, again :)