Scottish Inspired Lemon Shortbread

Once a year my husband Steve, and I attend Ventura Seaside Highland Games, a Scottish wonderland where the men in kilts are throwing heavy objects and the women are gawking at them.  Okay maybe only some of us gawk at them.  What can I say, I love a man in a kilt...especially mine.

 A few years ago while at the games I discovered that I am a little bit Scottish with a family tie to the clan MacLeod.  Tammie Vawter of MacLeod Pacific Region is full of information and always has Scottish Shortbread on hand.  The first year I told her that I would love to try her shortbread but I am gluten-free.  Tammie let me know that she had been wanting to try and recreate her recipe in a gluten-free variety.  The following year when I walked up to Clan MacLeod booth Tammie pulled a tin from it's hiding place, opened it and with a grin on her face presented me with my first sample of gluten-free shortbread.  It was very good but I wanted to try and create my own variety.  The following recipe can be made with our without the lemon.  Lemon is not traditional but it is a flavor that my taste buds really enjoy. 

Tammie this one is for you.  Thank you for educating me on my family history and inspiring this recipe. 

Gluten-Free Scottish Inspired Shortbread (lemon optional)

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. of your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (I used Pamela's for this)
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon guar gum
• 1 1/2 oz. white rice flour (I used brown rice flour because it was on hand)
• 4 oz. powdered sugar
• generous pinch kosher salt (less if your butter is salted)
• zest of 3 lemons (optional)
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch square pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan.  Place the parchment paper into the bottom of the pan and butter the parchment paper.  Set aside.

Put the gluten-free all-purpose flour, xanthan gum, guar gum, white rice flour, sugar, lemon zest and salt into the bowl of a large food processor with the blade tool. Pulse a few times to blend and aerate. Cut the butter into small chunks and add them to the flour mixture. Pulse a few times and then turn the processor on.  Let it cut and blend until the dough starts to form a ball and moves away from the side of the bowl. 

Press the dough into the buttered parchment paper lined pan. This will take a little time and patience to get the dough even and as flat as possible.  Prick the top of the dough with a fork, leaving no more than 1/4-inch space between fork pricks. This will help prevent the dough from puffing and rising unevenly. Using a sharp knife, score the dough all the way down to the bottom of the pan. Cut into the shape you want the finished shortbread to take (squares, rectangles or triangles).

Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 300°. When it is fully heated, remove the pan from the refrigerator and slide it into the oven. Bake until the edges are lightly golden brown and the top of the shortbread set, about 45 to 60 minutes, depending on your oven.

Remove the shortbread from the oven. Cut into the lines you scored before baking. Allow the shortbread to cool before eating.  (if not cool it will crumble apart)