I made a few batches of shortbread on the weekend. The first two lots were made with a moth or butterfly-shaped cutter and for the third, I just cut rough rectangle shapes with a knife. This batch was a bit chunkier and slightly less crisp, for that real buttery mouthful that I love so much. Who doesn't love shortbread though? Other than people on a diet. Luckily I'm never on one.
This shortbread has been wrapped up in some pony-printed paper (using my latest hand-carved stamp efforts) as a little pre-Christmas gift for a friend. I remember my Mum making batches of shortbread each December, and giving them to friends in giant biscuit tins. I think I'll do that this year, too.
If you'd like to make some too, here is the recipe I use (I think it originally came from the Edmond's cookbook...)
Shortbread- enough to fill a biscuit tin
250 grams butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup cornflour
2 cups plain flour + a pinch of salt
Cream butter and icing sugar together (I find it easiest to make this mixture in a big bowl with a hand-held electric beater). Sift together the cornflour, flour and salt, and mix in to the butter. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead a little and roll to 1 cm thick. Cut shortbread into shapes and place on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Prick with a fork. Bake at 150 degrees celcius until pale golden (about 20 mins.)
