Dorie Greenspan’s Salted Butter Break-Ups

When I received Dorie’s Around My French Table Cookbook for Christmas, this shortbread cookie was one of the first that I flagged to try.  The beautiful photos and simplicity of the recipe won me over almost immediately.  Of course, I was on Christmas cookie overload, so the recipe was placed on my to bake someday list. 

I recently was invited to a lovely party at a new neighbor’s home and decided to bring along this cookie.  Wow. The cookies were delicious, super easy to make and received great reviews and recipe requests.  Make these cookies soon, Trust me, you will not be disappointed.    

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Dorie Greenspan’s Salted Butter Break-Ups Serves : 12-15                                               Prep Time:  5 minutes + 1 hour chill                      Cook Time: 40 min INGREDIENTS 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 18 pieces 4 ½  tablespoons cold water ( 3-5 Tablespoons) 1 egg yolk, for the glaze DIRECTIONS Put the flour, sugar, butter and salt in a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse corn meal.  With the machine running, start adding the cold water by the tablespoon.  Add just enough water to produce dough that almost forms a ball. When you reach into the bowl to feel the dough, it should be very malleable. Place dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a square, and pat it down to flatten it. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill it for about 1 hour. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months.)When you’re ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and, if it’s very hard, bash it a few times with your rolling pin to soften it. Put the dough between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper and roll it into a rectangle that’s about 1/4 inch thick and about 5 x 11 inches.  Don’t worry about being perfect . Place the dough on the lined baking sheet. Beat the egg yolk with a few drops of cold water and, using a pastry brush (or the butter wrapper), paint the top surface of the dough with an egg glaze. Using the back of a table fork, decorate the cookie in a crosshatch pattern. Bake the cookie for 30 to 40 minutes on the center a rack in the oven, or until it is golden. It should be firm to the touch but have some spring when pressed in the center — the perfect break-up is crisp on the outside and still tender within. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and allow the cookie to cool to room temperature.