Lavender shortbread

Ingredients:

• 225g soft, unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• 110g caster sugar
• 225g plain flour
• 110g corn flour
• 1tbsp dried lavender (plus extra for sprinkling)

Beat the butter with sugar until pale and fluffy, then add remaining ingredients and knead shortly to bring the dough together.

Roll the dough out to about 1cm thick, cut out biscuits and place on a lined baking sheet, sprinkle with lavender.  Place the trays with biscuits in the fridge, to chill, for about 30 minutes. 

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 20 minutes.  Take out the oven and leave to cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. 

Enjoy!

Cinnamon shortbread cookies

Shortbread is one of my family's favourite and during festive season I like to sprinkle it with some cinnamon and sugar for some extra flavour.  You need to chill the cookies well before baking to ensure they will keep their shape. 

For the shortbread:

• 225g soft, unsalted butter
• 225g plain flour
• 110g corn flour
• pinch of salt 
• 110g caster sugar

For sprinkling:

• 2tbsp caster sugar
• 1tsp ground cinnamon

Beat the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy, then add remaining ingredients and knead shortly to bring the dough together.

Roll the dough out to about 1cm thick and cut out biscuits, place them on a lined baking sheet.  

When the cookies are ready chill them in the fridge for about 30minutes, until firm.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 20minutes, until the cookies are slightly golden around the edges.  

Take out the oven and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture, leave to cool slightly on a baking tray, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Shortbread fingers

Shortbread is one of the things that everyone loves, crumbly, buttery and sweet, can be flavoured with vanilla, lemon, lavender, chocolate or anything you like... And it is so quick and easy to make!

Recipe form Donna Hay magazine.

Ingredients:

• 250g cold unsalted butter
• 140g icing sugar
• 225g plain flour
• 100g rice flour or corn flour
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla pod
• icing sugar for sprinkling

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.  Cut the butter into chunks and to the dry ingredients.  Rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Quickly knead with your hands until the dough is just combined and comes together.  

Press into a lined 20cm x 30cm tin and leave in the fridge to cool for 20 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 35 minutes, or if you want to achieve very light, almost white shortbread bake at 160C a little longer.

Leave to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes, then take out and leave to cool completely.  

Cut into 20 pieces and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Earl grey shortbread

Buttery and crumbly shortbread, with fragrant earl grey tea and orange zest- the perfect biscuit to have with your cup of tea.

Ingredients:

• 2 glasses of plain flour
• 2 teabags of earl grey tea
• pinch of salt
• 230g soft unsalted butter 
• 1/2 glass of icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon of orange zest

Beat the butter with sugar and salt, until pale and fluffy. 

Add flour, orange zest and tea (dry tea leaves) and mix until combined.

Shape into two logs (3cm in diameter) and wrap in baking parchment or cling film.
Place in the freezer for about one hour, then take out, unwrap and cut into 5mm thick slices.
Bake in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes at 180C, then leave to cool.

Enjoy!


Martha Stewart's recipe, form the 'cookies' book.