I love shortbread biscuits; the lovely buttery melt in the mouth texture is just so satisfying. They also make such good gifts to friends and family! I usually make them plain, sometimes simplicity is the best. Here, though, I have jazzed it up with some orange zest and drizzled chocolate, which is a much loved combination! The orange zest goes more like candy peel after baking, which was a pleasant surprise. The cornflour really helps with the texture making it even more short and crumbly.
This recipe is adapted from Paul Hollywood’s buttery shortbread recipe!
Ingredients
225g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
110g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
110g cornflour
Zest of one large orange
Dark chocolate, to decorate
Pinch of salt
Method
1. Lightly butter 2 trays, or line with baking parchment.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar, using an electric hand-held whisk or wooden spoon, until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and cornflour into the bowl, add the salt and orange zest and mix together until smoothly combined. Tip the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to a soft dough. I only kneaded to bring everything together and incorporate the zest in the dough thoroughly.
3. Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of baking parchment to a thickness of 1cm. Prick the dough all over with a fork and cut into rounds, using a biscuit cutter. Re-roll the scraps once to cut more (try and avoid re-rolling too many times as the dough starts getting greasy). Put the shortbreads on the prepared baking trays and chill for at least 30 minutes. Chilling helps the butter to harden after all that handling.
4. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 170° C/338° F/gas mark 3.
5. Bake the shortbreads for about 20 minutes, until just turning golden brown at the edges. Leave on the baking trays for a few minutes to firm up slightly, then lift the shortbreads onto a wire rack. Leave to cool. Finish of with piping melted dark chocolate on top and leaving to set. They will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days although they may not last that long..
6. Enjoy with a cup of tea.
something green 