Shortbread recipe

Ingredients:

175 g/ 6oz Plain flour, extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
115g/ 4oz butter, cut into small pieces. Plus extra for greasing
55g/ 2oz caster sugar, plus extra for sprinking

Serves 8

Method:

Grease a 20 cm/8 inch fluted round tart tin with butter.

Mix together the flour, salt and sugar. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Continue to work the mixture into it forms a soft dough. Make sure you do not overwork the mixture, otherwise it will be tough, not crumbly as it should be.

Lightly press the dough into the prepared tart tin. If you don't have a fluted tin roll out the dough on a lightly floured board, place onto a baking tray then pinch the edgeds to form a scalloped pattern.

Mark into eight pieces with a knife. Prick all over with a fork and bake into a pre-heated oven 150 degrees/ 300 F, Gas mark 2, for 45-50 minutes, until the shortbread is firm and just coloured.

Leave to cool in the tin and sprinkle the sugar on top. Cut into pieces and remove to a wire rack to cool.