Melt in your Mouth Shortbread

Highland Shortbread

I just love this recipe and I have been making this with my children for years. It is simple and super quick but it’s always a winner. For gluten intolerant folk try a mix of ground almonds and gluten free flour.

I have tried many different recipes over the years but in my opinion this is the best.

The trick is not to cook them too long.

You will need:

6oz butter softened

2oz Castor Sugar

8oz Plain Flour

Cream the soft butter and the sugar together until fluffy. Then stir in the flour. Pull all the dough together and roll out to about 1cm thick and cut with a pastry cutter. Place on a greased baking tray. Cook in the centre of a pre-heated oven at 180oC for about 9 minutes until they are just starting to turn a golden colour but they are still soft - use your judgement here, they need to be cooked but not brown. Sprinkle a little castor sugar over the top of the biscuits. Allow to cool on the tray, once they are cool enough to form a solid biscuit you can move them. Best eaten whilst still a little warm.

For a decadent variation:

Prior to pulling the dough together chop up your favourite chocolate into small squares and mix into the dough using your hands. Then either roll and cut out as before or press out with your knuckles into a prepared 7” square tin until the the dough is an equal 1cm all round (don’t worry if it doesn’t touch the sides) Cook in the centre of the oven for about 15 minutes or until the biscuit just starts to turn golden. Remove and whilst still in the tin, with a sharp clean knife slice into small squares (usually 4x4). Allow to cool and then enjoy.

You can really play with the extras you put in this shortbread, try lemon zest, toffee, tablet.