Best Ever Shortbread

My long time readers will know that I am a ‘baking-as-therapy’ devotee. I really love baking whenever I can. The process calms me, brings me joy and brings others joy when I can share the results! I often give baked goods as little gifts. Not just at the end of the year to celebrate Christmas but when other occasions arise throughout the year. So when we talked about giving some baked treats to someone recently, I immediately thought that Best Ever Shortbread would be perfect. Light, delicate morsels that have a good shelf life and make a cup of tea or coffee special.

There are soo many variations on a shortbread recipe but they are all based on one central and very important ingredient – butter. And lots of it! Butter is essential to shortbread and you really can’t skimp on it. Let’s face it.  Butter makes everything better.  It really does. Once you have accepted that butter is where it starts you will find that all the available recipes for shortbread differ in some way. Some use caster sugar. Others icing sugar. Some use rice flour as well as plain flour others use only plain flour. My recipe for Best Ever Shortbread uses just four ingredients and I think it is a delicious combination.

One of the best things about Best Ever Shortbread is that it is easy and relatively quick to make.  After a quick prep you will be popping the biscuits in the oven and very soon you will have a delightful result.  When I made this last batch of shortbread it was all I could do to stop my family from eating them all on the day.  They were that good.  Why wouldn’t they be with that much butter?

So if you are thinking of baking some biscuits to give to someone to show your appreciation or if you just want to have something special to have for morning or afternoon tea, I think Best Ever Shortbread is the answer.  Your answer to the best ever ‘baking-as-therapy’.

Light, delicate and oh so buttery.

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Best Ever Shortbread

The best ever biscuit treat to give away or treat yourself!

Course Baked Treat

Keyword Best Ever Shortbread

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 35

Author Jane Georgiades

Ingredients

• 250 g butter chilled, cut in cubes
• 1/2 cup icing sugar mixture
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 2 cups plain flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line 2 - 3 baking trays with baking paper.

2. Add all ingredients to a food processor. Process on medium until mixture becomes fine crumbs like bread crumbs. Tip the mixture onto a sheet of baking paper and bring together in a mound. Split the mixture into two and form two discs on two separate sheets of baking paper. Cover each disc with baking paper and roll out each disc to about 5mm thick. Place discs of dough in the freezer for 10 minutes to become firm. Remove one disc from freezer and cut your biscuit shapes with a biscuit cutter. Place cut biscuits on trays. Roll the left over dough and if it is soft return to the freezer for another 10 minutes before repeating the process. Repeat until all the dough is used.

3. Bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes until the shortbread is just starting to colour at the edges. Remove and cool on a rack before packaging or storing in an air tight container. And have one or two with a cup of tea or coffee of course!

Recipe Notes

It is possible to make the dough without a food processor. Simply rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture is like bread crumbs.