Lemon Pepper Shortbread with Ginger-Infused Brown Butter

I'm excited to share something new with you this month. And I'm not (just) talking about the recipe. I joined the Leftovers Club! Every month, US and Canadian bloggers are paired up to exchange the yummy goodies they made for their blogs! This month I was paired with Martine at Whey Beyond the Naked Truth. It was great getting to know her through our many emails and so much fun baking for her! After looking at her blog, I decided she might like the flavours of my Lemon Pepper Shortbread made with Ginger-Infused Brown Butter. They're in the oven right now. I hope she loves them!

Lemon Pepper Shortbread with Ginger-Infused Brown Butter
2      c   flour
1      c   butter
1/2   c   powdered sugar
1      T  black pepper
             zest from one lemon
             fresh ginger, peeled, in a 1" cube

In a small pot, heat butter and ginger for about 10 minutes or until butter turns a golden brown.
Remove from heat and discard ginger. (If you want a more intense ginger flavour, you could grate the ginger right into the butter!)
Let butter solidify.
Cream butter, sugar, lemon zest and pepper.
Mix in flour.
Roll into a log and chill 2 hours. Slice into 1/4" rounds and bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.

Party Time: Some people, like the snobs on Top Chef Canada, think shortbread cookies aren't worthy of cocktail parties. I think they're wrong. (Yes, Dan Hudson was my favourite chef this season, and yes, I'm a bit bitter that he was sent home over the guy who managed to make chicken taste like Spam.) So if you want to include these tasty treats on your next party menu, roll them into bite-sized balls instead of slicing them. Just increase the baking time by up to 10 minutes.