Mr K's Shortbread: Recipe for Success

I welcome myself back to the blog to share with you the recipe used to create our Christmas shortbread in this post.

I find this to be the most simple, clean, cheap and of course, satisfying recipe I have yet to come across.
 

MR K's SHORTBREAD

Ingredients:

500g butter
500g plain flour
200g caster sugar
2-4 tsp vanilla extract


Method:

1. Preheat fan forced oven to 180 degrees (360 fahrenheit) & line oven tray(s) with baking paper.

2. Cream softened butter and sugar with clean hands in a large mixing bowl until a thick "paste is formed. 
(I find the softness of the butter to be a crucial part of a successful recipe. Too hard (refrigerated) and it will not have the ability to be creamed with the sugar creating a lumpy and uneven texture & too soft/melted which will create an unstable and unworkable liquid. I find the best method is to slice butter into 1-2cm pieces and rest on a chopping board while measuring the other ingredients.)

3.  As palates vary, fold in the desired amount of vanilla extract to suit your liking, until combined.

4. Add the flour (unsifted is fine) and fold into the mixture until combined and evenly distributed. A ball of dough should form in the bowl once this step is complete.

5. On a floured bench, knead the dough lightly before rolling. 

6. Using a rolling pin (or anything somewhat cylindrical) roll the dough to a 50mm thickness and trim the edges, creating a large square of dough.

7. As we decided to place small squares in jars, and after getting frustrated with a knife, I found it fast and easy (and overly enjoyable) to use a pizza cutter to cut the dough to the required size.

8. Once cut, pieces were placed on trays & trays & trays and placed into the oven. Oven heat was then reduced to 150-160 degrees (celcius) 302-360 (fahrenheit).

9. Cook for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown. (I found some pieces towards the edges of trays were required to be pulled out early due to the airflow in the oven.)

10. EAT! EAT! EAT!


A fast and simple way to create a recipe for all the family to enjoy this festive season!

I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and hope this can bring lots of happiness and full bellies into your little corner of the world!


Until next time,

Mr. K