Shortbread: Two Ways

I love making shortbread! Last Yule (that's Christmas to any of you non-Pagans!) I found a tasty coffee version and it went down really well with everyone who tried it. In fact a colleague at work insisted I made some to share for my birthday (don't ask!).

So my friend Rebecca and I have been eagerly awaiting pumpkin spice season and she thought pumpkin spice shortbread would also be super tasty. I had a bit of time to bake this weekend so gave it a go - turns out she was right!  

So here is the recipe:

250g butter

100g sugar

250g plain flour

125g corn flour

1tbsp of instant coffee dissolved in 1tsp of boiling water for coffee shortbread or 2tsp pumpkin pie spice for pumpkin spice shortbread.

I keep a tub of my homemade pumpkin pie spice to facilitate my Anglo-American lifestyle (that's another blog post in itself!) this is how I make it:

4 tablespoons ground cinnamon 

4 teaspoons ground nutmeg

4 teaspoons ground ginger

3 teaspoons ground allspice

Mix together and store in an airtight container.

Method:

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add your chosen flavouring at this point (or don't, plain is delicious as well!)

2. Combine the plain flour and corn flour then slowly add to the creamed mixture a little at a time. The dough should slowly come together.

3. Wrap dough in cling film and chill for at least 30 mins. I find at least an hour works best.

4. Flour your work surface and roll out the dough to 5mm thick. Cut out shapes (I like stars and hearts or a reindeer at Yule time!) you should get about 30 from this mixture.

5. Line baking sheets with baking parchment and space the biscuits evenly (they don't spread so you can get then quite close). Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170C for 15-20 mins until the edges are just going golden brown.

6. Sprinkle with sugar straight from the oven then transfer to cooling racks after about 10 mins.

7. Share with friends and family and enjoy!

Tell me your favourite biscuit recipes! What do you think to this one? What flavours would you try?

Joanne