The Shortest Shortbread:

These are great cookies to give out as special gifts at Christmas time. If you can't find rice flour in your supermarket, try a health or bulk food store.

1 lb. salted butter (must be salted for good flavor)*
1 cup fruit sugar
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees f. Butter the cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.

Cream the butter until light. Gradually beat in the sugar.

Combine the flours and add to the butter-sugar mixture.

The dough can be patted into the cookie sheets, pricked with a fork, baked and then cut into pieces. Or it can be rolled out and cut with cookie cutters; or it can be formed into balls and pressed down with a fork, glass or potato masher for a more interesting design. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until just barely golden.

*The flavour of these cookies depends on salted butter.

**In Canada, fruit sugar is a very light and fine grained sugar that is used for topping fruits, in beverages and for topping shortbread. Fruit sugar can be made by processing 2 cups regular granulated sugar in a blender or food processor for 60 to 90 seconds. Remeasure the sugar after processing (fruit sugar is also usually available at the supermarket).