Shortbread is great, shortbread is wonderful, but when it sometimes spreads during baking and comes out misshapen from the oven, it makes me want to top myself...
Joking aside (nothing is worth topping yourself), here’s a recipe where we;
Learn how to prevent the internal trauma of “shortbread spreading” by sharing the correct method and sticking points
Explore a ‘hack’ where we bake our shortbread in a way which ensures that cuppa has the perfect partner, even if you fail to succeed on the sticking points above…
RECIPE:
250g UNSALTED BUTTER (Cold & Cubed.) Blimey that’s an entire block. You can make half this recipe too! No alterations need to made, just use half the quantity of all ingredients.
75g LIGHT BROWN SUGAR (This is just for flavour, so you can use caster sugar if you have it in your cupboard readily)
75g ICING SUGAR (Sieved, icing sugar tends to clump because it’s so fine and we don’t want lumps do we? They sound annoying)
1 Tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
390g PLAIN FLOUR (Why not swap in 50-100g of a different flour into this recipe? Wholemeal or rye for some extra interest?)
100g SKIN-ON ALMONDS (Roughly Chopped)
GENEROUS PINCH OF SALT
Approx. 50g CASTER SUGAR (To sprinkle down your arm onto the cooked shortbread like that chef who charges £26 for a can of coke at his silly salty restaurant. Or….do it normally!?)
BEFORE YOU START…
Preheat your oven to 160c, (160c fan oven, 170c for other, less powerful ovens)
METHOD:
Using the paddle attachment on a mixer or using a wooden spoon (to mix by hand), mix the butter, sugar and vanilla until just combined.
TOO MUCH MIXING AT THIS STAGE INCORPORATES AIR INTO THE DOUGH WHICH EXPANDS DURING BAKING WHICH WILL CAUSE THE SHORTBREAD TO SPPREEEAAAADD.
Fold in the flour slowly until it comes together as a dough, finished by adding the chopped almonds.
FORM THE DOUGH INTO A SQUARE BLOCK. WRAP IN CLINGFILM AND REST IN THE FRIDGE FOR 30 MINUTES.
Once rested roll out, between two sheets of parchment (working smart not hard since 2020) to approx. 1 cm then transfer onto your baking tray (removing the top sheet of parchment but baking on top of the second, oh so satisfyingly easy)
Bake straightaway, as one giant slab, for 20-25 minutes until JUST turning golden. LIKE PASTRY, SHORTBREAD WANTS TO BE LIGHTLY KISSED BY THE GOLDEN HEAT OF THE OVEN, RATHER THAN ESSEX-GIRL BROWN (no hatred, there’s a time and place for this golden)
Once baked, remove from the oven and use a knife to cut your shortbread. Sprinkle with a light layer of caster sugar. Leave to cool on a cooling rack before storing up to three days in a sealed container (if it lasts that long).
