Festive Shortbread
With the ‘Festive Season’ comes festive baking, and why not say thank you to those special people around you with a small gesture of good will, and some good home cooking. I am sure friends and family will be delighted, as receiving a gift that has been specially baked says so much more.
I find the fun is not only in the baking, but also in the creating and presentation. Nowadays, we have such beautiful fabrics, ribbons and decorative boxes to choose from, and with little effort you can fashion up a magnificent gift.
I also feel when baking gifts if you are blessed with children, it is always a good way to get them involved. They can help tie the bows or design their own gift labels, and if you feel brave enough, let them have a try at baking these simple shortbread biscuits, as they are so easy to make, and I guarantee they will have great fun cutting out their favourite biscuit shapes
The basic shortbread recipe is the building block, I provide two alternative flavourings using coconut or chocolate, however, you may wish to flavour with lemon or vanilla.
Festive shortbread is a great way to share love at this special time of the year, and of course, delicious to eat all the year round.
Ingredients
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Basic Shortbread:
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200g butter- softened
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100g sugar- castor
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250g- plain flour
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50g- rice flour
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small pinch of salt- optional
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Orange Coconut Shortbread - add the below flavouring
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2 tsp grated orange rind
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50g desiccated coconut- instead of rice flour
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Chocolate Chip Shortbread - add the below flavouring
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50g cocoa powder
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50g chocolate chips
Instructions
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Basic recipe:
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01 Place butter and sugar into a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
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02 Sift the flour and pinch of salt together. Add to the creamed mixture with the rice flour and pulse to mix.
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For Orange and coconut shortbread:
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03 Add coconut and orange rind now to the creamed butter stage. Follow as normal.
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Chocolate Chip Shortbread:
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04 Sift the flour, cocoa and pinch of salt together. Add to the creamed mixture and pulse to mix. Add the chocolate chips and pulse until the chips are incorporated. Follow as normal.
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Basic method for all 3 flavours:
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05 Turn the mixture onto a floured board and bring together with your hands. Wrap the dough with cling film and ‘rest’ for 10-15 minutes in the fridge.
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06 Roll out on a floured board to 2 cm thickness and cut into shapes or rounds.
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07 Place on a lightly greased baking tray (or non-stick) and bake. Allow to cool on baking tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a cake rack.
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08 When cold store in airtight containers or freeze.
Notes
If you cannot get rice flour then substitute with cornflour. If you do not have any non-stick baking trays I would recommend using non-stick paper for cooking. The biscuits will lift off so easily, and no need to change for every bake, just repeat using the same paper. Orange Coconut Shortbread bake: I recommend rolling the dough fairly thick, as this way they keep whole and do not crack or split. Do not be tempted to over crowd the baking tray as they do expand during cooking and will stick together. Chocolate Shortbread bake: do not over mix once you add the chocolate chips – the delight is to eat the shortbread and chunks of pure chocolate! Do rest the dough before baking or you will get yourself in a sticky mess.
