NANA’S SHORTBREAD

Jane Manderson taught this to Norman and Janet Van Aken, © 1982

1 pound unsalted butter

1 ½ Cups sugar

2 eggs, beaten until fluffy

2-pound bag of flour

Put the butter, sugar and beaten eggs in a large bowl and cream very well.  Knead in the flour with your hands.  When it is all incorporated put the dough on an unfloured board and continue to knead for about 10 minutes.

Roll the dough into a cylinder shape and cut off about ¼ of it.  Lay the piece in the middle of the board and roll with a rolling pin to ½ inch thick.  Cut out with your cookie cutter and lay on a sheet pan.  They can be close together but not touching.  When the sheet pan is full, prick the cookies with a fork in the thickest parts of the cookie so that it cooks evenly.

Bake in a 300-degree oven, on the middle rack, for ½ hour.  Turn the sheet pan around and cook for another ½ hour, or until the bottom of the shortbread starts to turn golden brown.  Cool and store in a tin cookie can.

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