As soon as I smell shortbread in the oven I am transported back to my four year old self, eagerly watching my Mother bake shortbread for Christmas treats. They are the ultimate childhood memory for me. My Mother has always been the Queen of Shortbread, and even if I did use her recipe it would never taste the same, perhaps that’s just because they are hers – I’m a big believer that whenever someone cooks for you it always tastes better. All reward, no effort – that kind of delight.

These are easy to make, especially if you are lazy like me and have a bench-top mixer (like a Kenwood). The machine does all the work, you just have to cut out little shapes and turn on the oven – simple!

I like to bake these on Christmas Eve, they fill the house with a wonderful scent that can only be described as delicious. I always sneak a few in as soon as they come out of the oven, warm, golden and perfectly crumbly.

Makes roughly 40/45

The list:

225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour

120g (2/3 cup) rice flour

100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar

Pinch of salt

225g cold unsalted butter, coarsely chopped

 

The method:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Line two large baking trays with baking paper and leave to one side.
2. Combine the flour, rice flour, sugar and salt in you bench-top mixer. Mix on a low setting with either a dough hook of K-beater if you’re using a Kenwood. Mix until the mixture because a pale yellow dough.
3. Roll dough out until 1cm thick using a rolling pin (flour the surface of your work area if you need). Use a 5cm-diameter star-shaped pastry cutter to cut shapes from dough. Place on prepared trays. Bake in oven for 45 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on trays for 1 hour. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Enjoy!