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Thursday 13 November 2008

...MMmmmmm


I love shortbread - but it has to be the real, melt-in-your-mouth-type, too-crumbly to-pick-up-nearly shortbread. The prepack stuff you get in the supermarket just doesn't do it.

Here is my all time favourite recipe. This recipe is the result of my footering in the kitchen over the years trying various recipes and tinkering about till I came up with a failsafe formula. It takes less than five mins to prepare this and not much longer to cook.

I made this so's I could whip up some christmas packaging, just to see how it worked - 30mins after the shortbread was out of the oven it was all gone. There was nothing to package - you'll have to wait 'til I make some more. In the meantime - here's my recipe. - All you ladies with Nicholes recipe cards, here's something to put on one of them!!

Ingredients:
  • 8oz plain flour
  • 8oz unsalted butter
  • 4.5 oz icing sugar (I believe the american for this is confectioners sugar - anyhow it's the real fine stuff, like sugar dust)
  • 4.5oz really fine rice flour

What to do:
  1. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until it looks like fine breadcrumbs.
  2. Pour it out into one large baking tray or two small ones - I have two 8"x 11" trays that I use for this. You want a tray that has sides but not too deep.
  3. Give your tray a shake to make sure you have a fairly even layer of crumbs all over. Do not be tempted to use a wooden spoon or any thing else to smooth out the shortbread.
  4. Bake at about 170 degrees centigrade/325 farenheit/gas mark 3 until the shortbread is a light brown colour. Mark/cut into squares while it is still warm but leave it in the tin to cool.
  5. Eat.

Alternatively, for shortbread circles like I made above, punch out a couple of dozen circles of waxproof paper/baking paper and line the bottom of muffin tins with them - put a spoonful of mixture in each hollow and shake the tray to even it all out.

Hope it tickles.

14 comments:

  1. oooh...these look yummy. Now I have an Irish recipe that I can add to all of my Italian recipes. Thanks so much Clarie, for sharing this!

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  2. OOOH These look so good! And easy, perfect for me! Thanks for sharing it! -Molly B

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  3. yummy! I love shortbread! Thanks for sharing your recipe, I'll have to try it!
    Melissa

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  4. This sounds really good Claire... thanks for all the "american" adjustments! I will try this out.

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  5. Oh Claire I want some right now!! I LOVE shortbread!!! butter and sugar - what's not to love! :) Can't wait to try this!

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  6. My hubby is Ukranain and lovessssssss shortbread cookies! Thanks so much for this recipe! I can't wait to make it and surprise him :)

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  7. Sounds yummy! Can't wait to try this one!

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  8. Yum; now I'm hungry!!! I'm not much for cooking, but love to bake! Will definitely have to try this recipe!!! TFS!!!

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  9. mmmmmmmmmmmm I love it!
    And the crafts aren't bad either. haha
    Thanks for sharing a recipe.
    Em

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  10. Oh good Lord. Now I have to go make this! I am already fat enough!! :))) Thanks for sharing this!

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  11. Oh my...I made these shortbread cookies Monday night. There's nothing left. YUM!!! Thanks for this great recipe!

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  12. These look so good. Thanks for sharing.

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  13. Claire, My grandpa used to say that my grandma made the best shortbread because she had such 'cold hands' it wouldn't melt the butter while she made it. Just her bowl and her hands touched the ingredients in it. I remember that she would store it in an old tin, and I would always try to break off a piece from the 'cakes' that she would wrap in waxed paper. A special treat would be when she would make lemon curd to spread on top for company. Talk about "gilding the lily". All these many years later, I have her recipe and make it the same way; love to make up batches to give away to friends and neighbors. Thanks for the memories, along with all the terrific inspirations from your cards. You are one very talented lady. Hugs.
    Sandy (aka Little Mabel on PTI)

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  14. I've been wanting a recipe for shortbread - mine is awful. But I've never heard of rice flour. My mission tomorrow is to find rice flour and make shortbread! Thank you for the recipe. And, thank you for sharing your beautiful artwork!

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