Version 3 – too much flour

Isn’t the third time allegedly the charm?  Not with these damn cookies. I’ve been struggling to develop a recipe – walnut orange shortbread cookies with sea salt – and failing.  The initial lackluster version didn’t impress, but I sensed potential.

Version 1 – cookies with potential

As flavorless as the communion host, these bland disks needed more butter, more sugar, more flavor.  For the second attempt, I augmented the butter and sugar and added orange flower water, an often-used secret ingredient of mine.  Oops – buttery, but clearly too much of a good thing.

Version 2 – Too much butter, baby!

Today was attempt number three – the one that’s rumored to be “the charm”.  No such luck – too much flour.  I should return to the kitchen to try one last time, but honestly, I’ve lost interest and I’m moving on to something else.