A classic gets an upgrade, with powdered sugar and vanilla – Ted Lasso style!
If you’ve seen Ted Lasso, you’re familiar with his trademark pink box of “Biscuits” he delivers every morning to Rebecca, ensuing a therapy-worth addiction to the tradition, simply called, “Biscuits with the Boss”. Shortbread recipes are as simple as baking gets, requiring staple ingredients, little time, and minimal effort. However, the end product seems to outweigh the sum of its parts by miles.
Shortbread itself dates back to the 12th century in Scotland, where they developed this recipe much like the Italians did with biscotti, baking leftover bread a second time into a biscuit. Over time, the deal was sweetened with sugar, and lots of butter, leading us to the treat we all know today. This recipe, based on the Milkbar version of the Ted Lasso cookies (by Christina Tosi), is enhanced by the addition of vanilla. It’s the use of powdered sugar, vs. granulated, that creates the lift in these seriously updated shortbread bars. https://milkbarstore.com/blogs/recipes/milk-bar-x-ted-lasso-biscuits, My version is similar, and thanks to a little vanilla, might even be better!
I even found some little pink boxes for these beauties, which makes them ideal for shipping… more to come on that!
Ted Lasso's Shortbread Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 sticks good quality European Butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 3 xl egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 cup sifted all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 315 degrees, placing rack in the middle. Grease and line a 8x8 square baking dish with parchment paper, so you can lift the cooled biscuits out easily.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the softened butter with the sugars, then add the egg yolks and vanilla. You should have a very creamy, thick, yellow paste. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and salt together. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, being careful to not overmix. The less you do here, the better - you want a smooth consistency, but crumbly as well.
- Using damp fingertips (I keep a bowl of water next to the dish) gently press the dough into the prepared baking dish, smoothing as much as possible. Bake at 315 for 40 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan - I let them sit for several hours, before lifting out to cut in half, and then into small bars as pictured. Serve with your favorite beverage, or gift in small pink boxes, like Ted!
Notes
