Sweet Starfish Shortbread Cookies

If a thief were to break into my house and rifle through my kitchen (this is a kitchenware thief), he would find an impressive collection of cookie cutters and conclude that I baked a lot of cookies.  Then he would steal my cutters.  But if the thief then logged on to this blog (because now he needs cookie recipes), he would find that there are none.  Perhaps you all have noticed that, too.  It's not that I don't like cookies.  Who doesn't like cookies?  It's just that I never seem to have much luck making them.  So why, you may well ask, do I have all these cookie cutters?  I shall explain.

I have a great admiration for those decorated cut out cookies and the people who make them.  Each time I see them I have a moment of... um... craziness... where I imagine producing a darling batch of decorated cookies myself.  So, when I see a darling looking cutter, the crazy takes over temporarily and I buy it, take it home and deposit it in a kitchen drawer (where the thief will find it).  About once a year, usually around some cookie-centered holiday, I will be overcome by the need to actually make another attempt.  I do this knowing full well that very few of the cookies will come out right.  But those that do, get presented to family, friends and colleagues who are all duly impressed with my (fictional) cookie skills.

So now you're thinking (those of you that are still here and haven't gone off to search for cookie recipes from people who actually know how to make them) what holiday is centered around starfish?  Well, none really but I spend my summers around water and in nautical themed little towns and there are always plenty of starfish on display and for sale.  I love starfish and I have a whole bunch in various decorative jars.  And then I saw a starfish shaped cookie cutter and the crazy took over.  I decided to turn to Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, for the recipe because she never lets me down.  She, like me, loves shortbread and she always seems to be expertly whipping up a batch of it.  I imagined decorating the starfish with those adorable little dots and serving them at a late summer party.  OMG, what in the hell is wrong with me??

So, here's the deal.  My girl, Ina's, recipe is yummy and we wolfed down those cookies in record speed.  But the dough is very, very crumbly and the cookies are extremely fragile when they first come out of the oven.  We will not speak of what happened to my first batch.  But, in all fairness, shortbread is much crumblier than the typical sugar cookie dough used to make cut-outs and, in the hands of a more experienced cookie baker, I have no doubt there would have been greater success.  And I did have a few serviceable starfish to serve and a whole bunch of bits and pieces that still tasted mighty fine.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
(Slightly adapted from Barefoot Contessa)
1 1/2 Sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 3/4 Cup all purpose flour

Picking up a few starfish at a shop in Maine

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Using a hand or stand mixer, beat until all the ingredients are combined.  Slowly add the flour and mix until the dough comes together.  Turn it out on a floured board, shape it into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

On a well floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to approximately 1/4" thick and cut out desired shapes.  I used a 3 1/2" starfish shaped cutter.  Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the edges of the cookies turn a light golden brown.  Allow to cool before handling the cookies.  Ice or dust with powdered sugar, if desired.  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.