Shortbread Recipe

[mint]

In view of all the hard times to do with the exchange rate and inflation, I thought I'd make some shortbread biscuits to give as Christmas presents![I]

Did a trial run this afternoon and, even using 2 different recipes and trying both, I found the dough too dry to make into a ball, nevermind roll out.

I resorted to using milk to dampen things although both recipes specifically said that no added liquid was necessary.  The result was also OK, according to the OH, but then he's no judge of fine cooking, living as he has done with me for nigh on 30 years.

So, either I've got things wrong or the recipes are crap.  Anyone got a failsafe recipe I could use?

Many thanks.

[Clair]

http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2006/11/shortbread.php

[mint]

Clair, many thanks and not just for the recipe.  I love the site and have put it into my Favourites.

[Clair]

It is one of my favourites too! [:D]

I usually read it in English, but you could try reading it in its French version too.

So many recipes, all so tempting!

[mint]

Will definitely try the French version, Clair.  I have learned lots of useful words by reading French recipes.

When I first started, I used to like "épluchez"; sounds much less arduous than "peeling" the potatoes![:D]

[Âme]

Top website Clair, thx. I've added that to favourites too.  Just a thought Sweet 17: shortbread is quite a dry mix & takes a bit of kneading & pressing together to make a dough... it's quite cold at the moment & so warming the butter a little might help to make it stick together better.

Here's the shortbread recipe I use. It is the simplest and quickest one I've found and works every time: 80g unsalted butter; 80g plain flour; 30g icing sugar; 30g cornflour (white, not yellow*); a drop of vanilla essence; 25g castor sugar.

*if I don't have this in the cupboard I replace it with an extra 30g of plain flour.

Optional flavourings include the zest of orange or lemon, and this one that you will either love or hate; [I] the seeds from two cardamom pods finely chopped & ground with the flat of the knife.

Method: soften the butter then cream it until light & fluffy, mix in the flour, icing sugar & cornflour if using, vanilla essence (and any other flavouring). Mix then knead until fully incorporated. It makes a very stiff dough, be firm with it! 

Form into shapes: ping-pong ball sized balls; a thick flat disc; or roll out and cut biscuits with a shaped cutter. Press the top of each shape in castor sugar to make a sweet crust and bake at 180C/Gas mark 4, for 10-15 mins. Adjust (reduce) the cooking time for thinner biscuits, longer for balls. This shortbread should be pale, if it starts to brown it's overdone & tastes a little dry (but it's still edible!) The quantity is quite small, I always make double. Miam, miam!

[mint]

âme, thanks for taking the trouble to give me your recipe.

I am intrigued by the cardomom pods.  I didn't have corn flour but I used semolina flour which made the biscuits nice and crisp.

I've come to the conclusion that my kitchen was probably not warm enough yesterday afternoon.  Usually, I bank up the woodstove really high but it wasn't a day when I was making stews and stuff and I didn't need the kitchen really hot.

Just couldn't understand why the mixture was so dry.  Still, I don't think the biscuits suffered with the addition of some milk.  But I do like to be "authentic" if possible!

[Âme]

In true Blue Peter stylee, here are some Shortcake Hunks I made earlier,

[img]http://www.laviepyreneenne.com/img/Shortcakehunks.jpg[/img]

When I use the little aspic cutters (heart shapes), I refridgerate the biscuits on the baking sheet for at least half an hour before cooking, to stop them ssspprreeaadddiiing.

[mint]

Oh, âme, they look wonderful.  Pity, to eat them really..............

[Âme]

They're crumbs! [;-)]

[Scooby]

The substitution of plain flour with cornflour makes a much lighter biscuit.

[mint]

Scooby, I replace some of the flour with ground semolina and that seemed to have worked well last week.

Will have another go again this week.  Hoping to try âme's suggestion of cardomon.  Spicey and sweet has got to be a winner!

[Âme]

It's an interesting flavour kind of perfumed rather than spicy... They go well with ice-cream & rhubarb baked in orange juice.

[mint]

Nah, don't like rhubarb (ranks on the same place on the scale as sprouts for me).  But I think I might try some oranges soaked in cointreau and vanilla ice-cream with the cardomomed shortbread!

mm................

[Âme]

That sounds delicious. A jar of oranges in Cointreau & some shortbread would make a very nice gift too.

[Nell]

Another lovely flavour to add to your shortbread - stem ginger (as in a jar with sugar syrup) finely chopped and added just before rolling out. I made some with this last week and OH scoffed the lot within 2 days. Not good for the waistline, but yummy [:D]