Hungarian Shortbread

By norsegal8

For the taster, the hallmark of a great shortbread is its buttery flavor and sandy texture; for the shortbread baker, the hallmark is the dough's stick-to-your-fingers stubbornness - it can be tough to work with. But you won't have a problem with this recipe. The dough is mixed quickly, shaped into balls, and frozen until firmish. Then you grate it into a cake pan, spread it with a layer of jam, and grate another layer of dough over it. There's little that's simpler. These bars deliver a full measure of shortbread goodness with no fuss and mess.

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour, plus more as needed
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups raspberry jam

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

1. Using a sieve over a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Cream butter in a large bowl, using a hand mixer on high speed, until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and egg yolks; mix until sugar is dissolved and mixture is light, about 4 minutes. With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour mixture; mix until dough just begins to come together, about 1 minute.

2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; bring it together with your hands. Divide dough in half and form 2 balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap; freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

3. Arrange an oven rack in center of oven; heat to 350°. Grease a 10" springform pan with butter. Remove a ball of dough from freezer, unwrap, and grate, using the large holes of a box grater, directly into prepared pan. Gently pat grated dough to even it out. Spread jam evenly over dough, leaving about a 1⁄2" border around edges. Grate remaining dough over jam layer; pat gently until surface is even. Bake until light golden brown, about 25–30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, on a rack, before cutting into wedges.