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Traditional Shortbread Biscuits
1. Dough rolled and pricked, ready for the oven.
2. Biscuits just after cooking, cut into pieces while still soft.
3. Biscuits cooled and ready to enjoy! You will need: Metric
Imperial
Method: Measure the ingredients. Dice the butter to make it easier to mix. Sift the flour through a fine sieve. Do not use margarine instead of butter - it will ruin the taste and you will be disappointed. Place all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and knead them together to form a firm dough which does not crumble. A food mixer with a dough hook is helpful here, but you will still have to knead the dough with warm hands to soften it ready for rolling. Grease a baking tray or cover a baking tray with Glad Bake® Form the dough into a ball and flatten onto the centre of the baking tray. Roll out to about half-a-centimetre thick. I use a baking tray of the correct thickness and use its edges to run the rolling pin along. This ensures an even thickness. Prick the surface of the dough with a fork and if you like, sparingly sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar. Heat the oven to 200º C (390ºF) and place the baking tray on the centre shelf. I use a fan-forced oven which cooks more evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, turning every 10 minutes until golden brown. Ovens vary so much from gas to electric and from conventional to fan-forced that the baking time is only a guide. It took me several attempts to get used to our new oven before I was completely satisfied with the results! Most shortbread recipes recommend 20 to 25 minutes cooking time - I think our oven must have dodgy thermostat! See the comments at the end. Remove from the oven and with a sharp knife, cut the soft, cooked dough into biscuit-sized pieces. I usually cut them into rectangular shapes approx. 5 cm (2 in.) by 2.5 cm (1 in.). Cut off the irregular edges and used these for sampling!!! This is the best bit. Allow to cool before tasting (if you can!). Use the samples right away (yummy!) and store the rectangular biscuits in an airtight container. The biscuits are crisper if kept in the cool part of your refrigerator (in their air-tight container). This recipe makes 750 grams (1.5 lb) of shortbreads. I usually make two batches at a time, using two baking trays to save putting the oven on so often. COMMENTS: Wonderful recipe, second time around !!!!!! Absolutely wonderful with a half macadamia nut inside each biscuit, BUT your recipe states "heat the over to 200 degrees..... Should read don't you think "120 degrees"? Yes, and it takes about 40/45 minutes. I have made a double batch "of course" for our granddaughter's christening on Sunday. Keep up the good work. - Sincerely, Elene Anderson. |
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