The shortbread crust

I can't tell you how many cheesecakes I've made and had with graham cracker crusts, and I do love that tradition. However, I'm still looking for a graham cracker recipe to use for my crusts. I do have an amazing shortbread recipe though, taken from a Family Fun magazine back in the 90s. (If you've had my shortbread, this is a variation of that recipe.) I've scaled this recipe way down to be only slightly larger than necessary for a 4" pan. Just like with cheesecake recipes, this one should be doubled for 8" pans or tripled for larger.

The shortbread crust

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

- 1/4 cup butter (half a stick), softened

- 1/8 + 1/16 cup confectioners' sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

- 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or kosher salt

- 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT the fleur de sel or kosher salt and the melted butter with your fingers until the dough is smooth and holds together.

Press the dough into an ungreased pan, about 1/2 inch thickness. (The dough doesn't need to come to the edges of the pan for this recipe.) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (20 minutes for a doubled or tripled recipe), or until lightly brown around the edges. Remove from the oven, leaving the oven heated to 350.

Once cooled enough to handle, break the cookie apart with your fingers into fine crumbs in a medium-sized bowl. Mix in the 1/4 teaspoon of fleur de sel or kosher salt.

Next, add half the melted tablespoon of butter to the bowl, mixing to combine. If this presses together pretty well to form a crust, stop there, but if it doesn't, add the rest of the butter and combine.

Press evenly 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick into the pan depending on your personal preference, the bottom wrapped with foil and sides covered with parchment if desired, and bake approximately 15 minutes, or until the crust holds together and may be very lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Then proceed by preparing the cheesecake filling of your choice.