Shortbread

Having this buttery, crumbly shortbread with tea instantly perks up my day and can get me through the sleepiest of afternoons. I especially love it with the smoked Chinese black tea Lapsang Souchong, which tastes like a campfire, in the best way possible. If you’re feeling fancy, use the best quality flour and butter you can find, but even ordinary flour and butter will lead to delicious results. From start to finish, this recipe takes about 30 minutes—for the extraordinarily busy or the extraordinarily lazy, you can get your shortbread here!

ingredients

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Mix flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Add butter to dry ingredients and mix, using your hands, until mixture comes together into a smooth dough.
4. On an ungreased baking sheet, flatten the dough into an 8-inch circle. Prick with a fork all over.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges turn golden.
6. Remove from oven and immediately slice into 12 wedges. Let cool before serving.