We’re going shrimping tonight! I’m excited! We went one time last year, didn’t do too well and then didn’t go back. Tonight we’ll try it again! With a little stop for some dinner on the way, we’ll be shrimping by 8:00. And hopefully filling out freezer with some delectable shrimp that I can cook up for us.

 

I’ve had a hankering for shrimp scampi lately. That buttery sauce slathered all over linguine. Yum. It would be perfect with some crusty bread. (Beau is thinking “yum” right now.)

 

Here’s what I’m making for the football game tomorrow:

Vanilla Bean and Bourbon Shortbread

3 sticks butter, almost to room temperature

¼ tsp salt

3 ½ c flour

1 T vanilla

1 vanilla bean

½ c sugar

½ c powdered sugar

2 ½ T bourbon

 

Mix the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean. Add every little black speck you can get out of that seed. You won’t regret it! Mix in the vanilla and the bourbon. Use good bourbon. It won’t be wasted. Once everything is incorporated, mix the salt and flour well and add slowly to the butter mixture. Once all is mixed well, turn out onto some plastic wrap, form into a disk and pop it into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

 

Remove the disk from the fridge and roll it out to about ½-inch thickness. Use whatever cookie cutter you would like, but I recommend avoiding something like a star. (The points tend to brown much quicker than the rest of the cookie.)

 

If you have a Silpat, now’s the time to use it. Place the cookies on the cookie sheet and bake on 350 for 25 minutes.

 

Enjoy!