Yudhika bakes shortbread….

How about a slice of home-made shortbread with a good cuppa?  I have a love for cake and curries and sometimes neglect some of my old besties…like shortbread.

 

I add a few tablespoons of ground rice to this recipe and it makes the shortbread deliciously crisp!  I use a coffee grinder to process little batches of rice – it can be used in fritter recipes and even to thicken sauces and gravies! If you are short on time, you could use store-bought rice flour….I tend to avoid this option as I just use a little at a time!

 

The ingredients for the shortbread should be at room temperature and please….no margarine for this one…actually….no margarine ever…ever….EVER!  Butter is the only option here!

 

You could also flavour this recipe with lemon or orange zest or almond essence!  I am sticking with the traditional version here…..

 

Shortbread

Makes one 25cm round

 

Ingredients

150ml butter

130ml caster sugar

1 egg yolk

250ml cake flour

80ml ground basmati rice

20ml full cream milk

Here’s how

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Place the butter in a mixing bowl.

Use an electric beater to cream the butter.

Gradually add the sugar while beating continuously.

Cream the butter until very pale in colour.

Add the egg yolk and beat well.

Sift the flour into the butter and egg mixture.

Add the rice flour and use knead the dough lightly to form a soft dough.

Add the full cream milk and gently work the dough into a ball.

Roll the dough into a round and press into a 25cm loose bottomed pie tin.

Slice the round into 16 wedges and bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until the shortbread is golden in colour.

Leave the shortbread to cool in the pie tin.

Remove from the tin and gently slice the shortbread over the slice marks with a sharp knife.

Serve once the shortbread has cooled down.

Store the shortbread in an airtight container for two to three days.