Granny’s Shortbread. People seem to fall into two camps about shortbread. My Granny liked hers on the thicker side, buttery and very crumbly. My Dad liked his thinner and crisper, more like a biscuit.
This is the recipe for Granny’s Shortbread. It’s very easy to make, even by hand. You’ll need a 20cm square cake tin for the amount given here. Double the quantities and it will fit a Swiss roll tin. Completely up to you. I try to restrict myself from devouring it by making this smaller quantity. I must add, just to be completely fair, that this shortbread does keep well in an airtight tin and it makes a great present.
You can add lemon zest, lavender flowers, Earl Grey tea and even fennel seeds (Partic good with blackcurrant puddings) to this shortbread recipe. Truth is though, I love it best plain, just as it is written here. It goes as well with fruit fools and ice creams etc. as it does with a cup of tea.
RECIPE FOR GRANNY’S SHORTBREAD
Ingredients
- 175 g/6oz plain flour
- 175 g/6oz butter, at room temperature, diced
- 90g/3oz rice flour
- 90g/3oz caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark Line a 20cm pan with parchment (baking) paper.
- Put the flour and butter into a bowl and rub together until the mixture looks like rough clumpy sand – this can be done by hand or in a mixer. Add the rice flour and sugar, continue rubbing in and the mixture is easier to mix and resembles more of a crumble topping.
- Press the mixture down well into the prepared pan, prick all over with a fork and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
- Sprinkle the shortbread with extra sugar and cut while still warm, but let cool completely before turning out of the pan.
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This looks wonderful! I like thick and crumbly myself.