Shortbread

Here in France we have some great patisseries, from croissants to profiteroles. But sometimes there is nothing more delicious to eat with a good cup of tea, than a piece of shortbread. I think even the French would agree…

My friend Audrey and I have made it our mission to put together the perfect recipe and, over the last week, we have been taking turns at turning up at work with a box of  freshly baked shortbread. We have been accused of trying to sabotage people’s waistlines, which could not be further from the truth! Finding the perfect shortbread recipe is a serious endeavor, and sacrifices need to be made!

I find it particularly interesting how many variations there can be for a cookie that is made out of 4 main ingredients: butter, sugar, flour and a pinch of salt! Who knew? So here is our recipe, I would love to hear what your think about it, especially if there are some genuine Scots out there who might have some secret tips!

Shortbread:

• 100 g of white sugar
• 170 g of soft butter
• 200 g of flour
• 100 g of rice flour
• 1 pinch of salt

Mix together the sugar, salt and the butter until the mixture colour and becomes pale yellow. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and the rice flour and add it to the butter/ sugar mix. Mix it until if becomes a big round ball. Wrap the ball in cellophane and let it cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Pre-heat the oven to 160° Celsius.  Roll out the dough to make a rough square and cut the dough into fingers. They should be about 5mm thick. Prick them a couple of times with a fork and bake until barely golden. Sprinkle with a bit of extra sugar. By the way you can replace the rice flour with normal flour, it just gives the cookie an extra bit of crunch.

– Emilie