by Jennie Jones

My favourite Decadent Delicate Shortbread biscuit recipe to enjoy any time of the year.

Jennie’s note: The biscuits will be thin and crunchy to the bite, but still have that buttery melt-in-your-mouth shortbread-gorgeousness – and beware, the pastry is so delicate that when you roll it out, you won’t be able to pick up the pastry to turn it once it starts to get thin.

Makes 30 biscuits

Oven temp: 150C

• Two large baking trays greased with butter or lined with baking paper
• 100 gm icing sugar
• 200 gm unsalted butter, softened
• 200 gm plain flour
• 100 gm cornflour
• (Optional: 50 gm of finely chopped crystallised ginger, or finely grated zest of one large lemon)
• Castor sugar for sprinkling

Method:

Cream butter and icing sugar very well using an electric mixer.

Add sifted flour and cornflour and fold with a metal spoon. (At this point, also add crystallised ginger or lemon zest if using.)

The metal spoon will only do so much, so get in with your hand and knead in the bowl until all the flour has been mixed, then take half the pastry and roll out on a very well-floured surface to ½ centimetre thickness. (This pastry is soft and will be difficult to move or turn while rolling.)

Cut into preferred shapes – scone cutters are perfect, as are star and heart cookie cutters.

Use metal baking spatula to slide off the floured surface and onto your prepared baking sheet.

Repeat with the other half of pastry.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes, but keep a careful watch after 25 minutes to ensure they don’t brown too much. They should be golden in colour.

Remove from oven and transfer to wire cooling racks.

Sprinkle with castor sugar while warm.

Devour when cool.

Bestselling Australian author Jennie Jones takes us back to Swallow’s Fall for one more story: Gemma has a burning need to stay and make a home. All Josh has ever wanted is to get out. Now he has the chance, and all he needs to do is tie up a few loose ends…