Recipe Archives->Middle Eastern->Sfoof

SAFFRON SHORTBREAD (Sfoof) Lebanese
makes 40 pieces

4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon saffron or turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 to 2 tablespoons pine nuts

Melt butter. Cool to lukewarm by placing pan in cold water. Sift
flour with sugar, baking powder, saffron or turmeric, and salt.
Stir butter into flour mixture until flour is well moistened. Rub
mixture together between palms,"smearing" the butter and flour
until all lumps are gone. Mixture will resemble coarse cornmeal.
This may take a few minutes, but it thoroughly works the butter
into the flour mixture. Poke several holes in mixture and pour 2/3
cup milk into holes. Stir with fork only enough to incorporate
liquid so dough holds together.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and pat dough evenly over the
bottom, pressing down firmly. Brush with a few tablespoons of milk.
Decorate with pine nuts place at 1 1/2-2 inch intervals. Bake at
350 deg.F for 30- 35 minutes, until crust becomes light brown and
a toothpick inserted in the middle pulls out clean.  Cool, cut into
40 squares with a pine nuts in each center.

Printable version: sfoof.txt.