Vanilla Shortbread

These delicious biscuits should come with a warning: it is impossible to stop at one! Seriously good! If you don’t believe me, make them and test this theory for yourself.

A great recipe to make with little ones! The dough is super easy to make (especially if you have a food processor) and the dough is almost impossible to overwork (which means tiny hands can roll and re-roll the dough without the end product being affected). This recipe is also egg-free, making it safe for little ones to lick their fingers during the baking process. They keep well (if you can resist them) and makes for a great homemade gift. I like adding vanilla bean paste for added flavour, but you can omit this if you want or don’t have on hand (the butter gives the biscuits an incredibly moreish flavour already).

Makes about 20 - 30 biscuits (depending on their thickness and size)

SHORTBREAD DOUGH

unsalted butter, 125g

plain/cake/all-purpose flour, 150g (250ml or 1 cup)

cornflour, 75g (125ml or 1/2 cup)

caster sugar, 70g (about 80ml or 1/3 cup)

fine salt, 1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon)

vanilla bean paste, 15ml (1 tablespoon) - optional

To start, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a large baking tray (or two medium size trays) with baking paper (or a reusable silicone mat).

Roughly chop the butter then place all the ingredients in a large bowl or a food processor bowl fitted with a blade attachment.

Rub the ingredients together or blitz in a food processor for a minute or two until a crumbly consistency.

Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead/press together until it comes together in a ball (don’t be scared of kneading as it is really difficult to overwork the dough)

Roll the dough out to a 5mm to 1 cm thickness (it should not stick too much to the surface or rolling pin, but you can use a little extra flour for dusting the top and bottom or the rolling pin if you need to).

Cut out rounds/shapes or cut into squares.

Place on the lined baking tray/s.

Press the remaining dough together in a ball again and repeat the rolling and cutting out until you have used all the dough.

You can prick the dough with a fork and/or sprinkle with extra sugar - optional.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes (will depend on their thickness and size) until the biscuits are a light golden colour and have a matt appearance (they will be soft when they come out of the oven).

Leave the biscuits on the tray/s to cool and firm up (you can transfer them to a cooling rack if you wish, but be mindful that they will be fragile when fresh out of the oven)

Store in an airtight container (they keep well at room temperature for several weeks).