Day 4: Grandma's Shortbread
Who can resist shortbread at Christmas, especially if it is homemade with love and real butter. This recipe is known in our house as Grandma's Shortbread because it's the one she makes every Christmas. Last year Mum taught Hannah to make her special shortbread, passing the recipe and method down through the generations, ensuring a family tradition will continue.
Hannah is maintaining the tradition of making this recipe just for Christmas and that's OK, we appreciate it all the more because it is a once-a-year treat. Last year we made shortbread and included it in our Cheapskates Style Gourmet Gift Hampers, and it has been requested again this year.
This shortbread makes a wonderful gift, on its own in a pretty box or on a nice plate, or teamed with a special tea or coffee and a nice cup and saucer. It's also gender neutral - anyone can enjoy homemade shortbread.
Grandma's Shortbread
Ingredients:250g butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
1-1/2 cups plain flour
2/3 cup rice flour
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Sift flours together.
Using fingertips gradually work flours into butter mixture until combined.
Knead on a floured surface until smooth.
Roll out to about 2cm thick.
Cut into circles or fingers.
Put on buttered trays. Sprinkle with castor sugar if wanted. Prick top of biscuits with a fork.
Bake until firm and light golden around edges, about 15 - 20 minutes.
Cool on cake rack.
Store in airtight container.
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Can you explain what you put in your cheapscape style gourmet gift hamper thanks Desima
ReplyDeleteLast Christmas I put:
Delete1 jar fig jam
1 jar raspberry jam
1 jar wholegrain honey mustard
1 bag of plain pita chips
1 bag of herbed pita chips
1 jar six minute lemon butter
1 jar zucchini pickles
1 bottle gingerbeer
1 bottle rhubarb champagne
1 tub labna
1 batch shortbread (either fingers or in the round cut into triangles)
All made in my kitchen. I used recycled jars, sterilised of course, and made labels and jar toppers for them all.Packed them into small brown cardboard boxes and packed the lot with straw.
Hi Cath,
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if the shortbreads can be made now and frozen for Christmas?
Many thanks
Theresa
Frozen cooked biscuits, including shortbread, are good for up to 4 weeks so it's a bit early to make them now. Try mid-November if you want to freeze them. Or make the dough now and bake them closer to when you want to use them. Cut them into fingers/triangles/circles and flash freeze, then double wrap. To bake them put them on a lined baking sheet and bake from frozen, adjusting the cooking time by about 5 minutes - that will depend on your oven of course. Just check them after the cooking time.
DeleteThanks Cath for your helpful reply re freezing the shortbread biscuits. Your gourmet gift hampers sound amazing. If someone gave me something like that as a gift I would be thrilled to pieces. What a wonderful idea. Theresa
Delete