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I made a few batches of shortbread on the weekend. The first two lots were made with a moth or butterfly-shaped cutter and for the third, I just cut rough rectangle shapes with a knife. This batch was a bit chunkier and slightly less crisp, for that real buttery mouthful that I love so much. Who doesn't love shortbread though? Other than people on a diet. Luckily I'm never on one.

This shortbread has been wrapped up in some pony-printed paper (using my latest hand-carved stamp efforts) as a little pre-Christmas gift for a friend. I remember my Mum making batches of shortbread each December, and giving them to friends in giant biscuit tins. I think I'll do that this year, too.

If you'd like to make some too, here is the recipe I use (I think it originally came from the Edmond's cookbook…)

Shortbread– enough to fill a biscuit tin

250 grams butter, softened

1 cup icing sugar

1 cup cornflour

2 cups plain flour + a pinch of salt

Cream butter and icing sugar together (I find it easiest to make this mixture in a big bowl with a hand-held electric beater). Sift together the cornflour, flour and salt, and mix in to the butter. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead a little and roll to 1 cm thick. Cut shortbread into shapes and place on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Prick with a fork. Bake at 150 degrees celcius until pale golden (about 20 mins.)

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15 responses to “shortbread squares”

  1. Lindsay Avatar

    Oooh! I may have to try these, the recipe looks so easy to follow!

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  2. Emily Avatar

    Lovely – thanks! I’ll definitely give that recipe a go.

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  3. Julie Whitmore Avatar

    Oh those look like pale yellow clouds. Your recipie is better than mine, the addition of corn flour is such a good one. Must make them lighter. I do dip about one third in melted chocolate. makes them even more sinful. But i think they are at their best plain too. Love your stamp.
    Best
    Julie

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  4. Karen Avatar
    Karen

    Thank goodness for the “Edmonds Cookbook”, a real NZ kitchen staple eh!
    I’m just about to make my Christmas Cake, recipe from Form 2 ,Monrad Intermediate (in PNth) , back in the 70’s!
    Cheers
    Karen

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  5. Paula Avatar

    Ah, now I want to make shortbread. I love your wrapping paper too. x

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  6. caireen Avatar

    I love that pony stamped paper – you can’t beat it!! Going to get all my xmas stamps out soon and do a batch of brown paper. This looks very Skandy(navian) Cxx

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  7. fiona Avatar

    Thank you. I’m gonna try this. 🙂

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  8. Nicole Avatar

    I certainly love shortbread (and hate diets)! I’ve never tried a recipe with corn flour though… must give these a go!
    Btw, thank you sooo much for that Alice Herz Sommer link the other day. I’ve been thinking about it constantly ever since. What an amazing, inspiring lady!

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  9. SmitoniusAndSonata Avatar

    We on a diet will admire from afar !
    Mind you , the paper’s low-cholesterol ….

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  10. tinyhappy Avatar

    thats true! hehe….

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  11. Tania Avatar

    Looks like a lovely little gift. I’m currently trying to motivate myself to make some teacher gifts.

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  12. Lindsay Jewell Avatar
  13. Kylie Avatar

    the little one and i are shortbread from the edmonds this afternoon 🙂

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  14. julie Avatar

    Thank you for the inspiration, as always! I have now given away most of my home baked biscuits to various teachers and educators and can now bake myself some shortbread 🙂

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