Shortbreads

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/3 cup rice flour or fine semolina
• 250 g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
• caster sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. 1

   Sift the flour, caster sugar and rice flour or semolina into a mixing bowl, add the cubed butter and rub it with your fingertips until the mixture clings together in heavy lumps. Gather the dough into a ball and then knead it on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Proceed according to how you want the finished shortbread to be shaped.

2. 2

   Moulded Shortbread: Lightly sprinkle an 18-20cm diameter shortbread mould with flour, cut the dough in half, roll out each piece to a round, a little smaller than the mould and press, smooth side down, into the mould to fir it exactly. Carefully turn the dough out onto a flat baking tray. The mixture can also be shaped in small moulds to produce biscuit-sized shortbreads.

3. 3

   Petticoat Tails: Cut the dough in half and roll out onto two rounds each 18-20cm in diametre. Flute the edges with your fingers, then prick them all over with a fork. Alternatively, fir the two rounds into two fluted tins and prick well.

4. 4

   Shortbread Fingers: Press the dough into a shallow, 28x18 cm tin, smooth with a palette knife, then prick weell with a fork.

5. 5

   Having prepared the dough according to the shape chosen, chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour and pre-heat the oven to 160ºC. Bake the moulded shortbread and petticoat tails for 20-25 minutes and fingers for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through but not browned.

6. 6

   Remove from the oven and leave to cool and firm up for 5 minutes. Loosen the moulded shortbread and petticoat tails from the baking tray with a palette knife. Mark the petticoat tails into triangles. Cut the fingers into 20 equal pieces while still in the tin. Sprinkle generously with caster sugar.

7. 7

   After 15 minutes, transfer the petticoat tails and moulded shortbread to wire racks to cool completely. Leave the shortbread fingers in the tin until cold.

8. 8

   The shortbread will keep well if stored in an airtight container.