Whole Grain Shortbread With Einkorn and Rye Flour

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 6 by 10 in. baking dish.

   Step 2

   Place the butter in a mixing bowl. The butter must be very soft—the consistency of mayonnaise or whipped cream. Add the salt to the butter and mix well. Sift the flours and cornstarch together into another bowl. Add the granulated sugar to the butter and mix just until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix just until a smooth dough forms.

   Step 3

   Pat the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish. The dough should be no more than 2/3 in. deep. Bake until the top and bottom are lightly browned, about 30 minutes. The middle of the shortbread should remain light. Let cool on a wire rack until warm to the touch.

   Step 4

   Sprinkle the shortbread with the superfine sugar. Tilt the dish so that the sugar fully and evenly coats the surface and then tip out the excess sugar. With a very thin, sharp knife, cut the shortbread into rectangular fingers about 1/2 in. wide and 2 in. long. If the cookies have become cold they will not slice well, so they must still be warm to the touch at this point. Chill thoroughly before removing from the baking dish.

   Step 5

   The first cookie is difficult to remove, but the rest should come out easily with the aid of a small, thin offset spatula. The cookies will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 2 weeks.

2. Chocolate Dipped Variation:

   Step 6

   Skip sprinkling the shortbread with sugar. Temper 8 oz. milk, dark, or white chocolate. Dip half of the cookie in the melted chocolate, letting excess chocolate drip back into the bowl, and let set. Alternatively, you can use melted, untempered chocolate, but refrigerate the cookies after dipping to set the chocolate.