Hungarian Shortbread

I have been really enjoying baking these days. I even have been planning out more sweet selections to experiment with. My latest creation is this Shortbread recipe that I found in Saveur magazine. I love shortbreads. I love how they are crumbly and not overly sweet. This recipe came out very nice. I did substitute the Raspberry jam with my sister in law's delicious homemade Plum jam though, the hint of bitterness from the Plums is exquisite. Enjoy!

SERVES 8 – 10 The light, crumbly texture of this shortbread owes to a clever technique: freezing the dough and grating it. This recipe is based on one in Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan (Morrow, 1996). 2 cups flour, plus more as needed 1 tsp. baking powder 1⁄8 tsp. fine salt 1⁄2 lb. unsalted, uncultured butter (like Straus), plus more for pan, at room temperature 1 cup sugar 2 egg yolks 3⁄4 cup raspberry jam 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.