Three kinds of shortbread.

I love shortbread and personally nothing more Christmassy than a shortbread biscuit, apart from Christmas pudding , roast turkey and well lots of things.  However, it still counts quite high as a Christmas biscuit.  So here, I have done three different recipes that you can make and you will get three very different kinds of short bread.  Make them put them in a tin and give them as a present, nothing say you care like some thing that you have actually made. Unless you are going to buy me a present then it is a 10 year old bottle of Macallon malt whiskey

Short bread one ,

250g/9oz plain flour

75g/3oz caster sugar

175g/6oz butter

This makes a soft shortbread.  Per heat your oven to 160c/325f and grease a tray.  Then mix the flour and sugar in a blow so you have a good mix.  Then rub in the butter so you have a breadcrumb.  Now knead it all together so you get a bough.

Now you can not roll this so you have to shape it by hand or press it down and then cut it , best to press it in to a round shape and then shape and score to make in to triangular biscuit , or petticoat tails , very traditional .

Bake them in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Short bread two,

100g/4oz butter

50g/2oz caster sugar

100g/4oz plain flour

50g/2oz rice flour

This makes a hard short bread that you can roll.  Cream the butter and sugar together until it changes colure and goes nice and light.  Then add the rice and plain flour and work it all together so you have a smooth dough.  Then let it rest but not in the fridge or you will not be able to work with it.

Now all you have to do is roll and cut it , but you might find it easy to use a plate knife to lift the biscuit after you have cut them , and flour the surfaces well or the mix will stick.

This one you want to bake in a preheated oven set at 190c/375f for about 15 minutes.

Short bread three

175g/6oz butter

50g/2oz caster sugar

175g/6oz plain flour

10ml/ 2tsp milk

A drop or two of vanilla essence

Now this short bread you can pipe and put jam in the middle if you like.  This time heat your oven to 160c/325f and grease a tray.  Then cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the essence and flour and beat this together then add the milk and mix it altogether. This recipes works beat if your butter is soft to start with.

Then place in a piping bag with a star piping nozzle and make you biscuits.  You can pipe them straight in to paper bun cases if you like, and bake for about 25 to 30 munities.

Now no matter what one you make when you have finished backing them sprinkle with sugar and let them, cool or cool them and then sprinkle them with icing sugar. Then once fully cooled make a cup of tea and sit and have a short bread biscuit you deserve it  after all that baking.