Seemed like a good time to rejuvinate this thread...
Mmmmm christmas cookies...
Lemon Bars
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
dash salt
7 tablespoons lemon juice
Cream together butter, 1 1/2 cup flour, and powdered sugar.
Pat in a 13x9x2 inch baking pan.
Bake 18 - 20 minutes at 325 F (I have always done these in a glass baking dish, if you cook in aluminum, then the oven should be a little hotter) until lightly browned
Beat together the rest of the ingredients and pour over crust.
Bake an additional 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cooled (slice with sharp hot knife (immerse knife in hot water and wipe dry)
Shortbread
Note: I have also done this as a glass jar cookie, gift item -- but you wanna make the cookies yourself, it's so worth it.
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon water
1 pound butter softened
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add sugar to bowl & sprinkle with water.
Cream butter into sugar with a wooden spoon (this was my irish granny's recipe, I use my electric mixer, but she always did it by hand)
Add flour and salt and knead dough with your hands until dough pulls away from side of bowl as well as your hands.
Press dough into a ungreased 9 x 13-inch glass baking pan.
Spread it flat right into the corners.
Prick with fork about at 1 inch intervals.
Sprinkle all with 1/4 cup white sugar.
Bake at 275F for one hour or until pale golden.
Cut while hot into diamond shapes. (2003 trick, Pizza cutter worked great)
Let cool