Polka Dot Shortbread

These all butter cookies are dressed up with little dots of jam and lemon curd ( omit the lemon curd for an eggless cookie ). The cookies have a great sandy texture from the addition of rice flour , which I love.

Martha Hall Foose

Makes 16 cookie wedges

1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/4 cup rice flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup ( 2 sticks ) unsalted butter , cold cut into small pieces

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs seedless raspberry jam

2 tbs lemon curd ( or omit for eggless and increase jam by 2 tbs)

Preheat oven to 325*F

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade , blend flours , sugar and salt . Add butter and vanilla and pulse several times to form a dough . Press dough into an 8 inch tart pan with removable bottom or into a 1/4 inch thick round on to a parchment lined baking sheet . Score the dough to mark 16wedges . Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile fill 2 small piping bags or sandwich bags with the jam and lemon curd.

Remove shortbread gfrom oven . With a wooden dowel or spoon handle , make small divots around the surface of the dough, pressing about half way through the dough. Fill some dots with the jam and lemon curd. Return to oven and bake 10 more minutes, or until golden around the edges. Be careful not to let them get too dark; just the edges should begin to brown . Cool in pan on rack .Remove from pan and cut along the scored marks.