One of the nicest bloggers I’ve met in a while, Laura studies chemistry at university, which I guess really comes in handy when trying to figure out how to get a cake to rise?! LOL.
Seriously though, Laura is a fantastic baker and her enthusiasm for my cookie advent calendar is really encouraging and supportive. I’m so glad to have her back for a second year and love this spin on the classic holiday shortbread.
guest post by Laura from I’d Much Rather Bake Than…
Laura’s previous kitchen frolic cookie recipe advent calendar posts:
– 2013: brown sugar shortbread
Hello everyone! Without getting all mushy on you I’d like to say that I’m really pleased to be back taking part in Stephanie’s Cookie Advent Calendar again. Last year I was invited to take part and shared this recipe for Brown Sugar Shortbread with you which I loved creating (and eating) so I was secretly hoping Stephanie would let me take part again. There was a lot of shortbread variations shared last year so at first I played around with the idea of making something else. I couldn’t decide whether to go with something indulgent, because after all we are talking about Christmas, or something equally yummy but slightly plainer because there will be an awful wonderful amount of rich foods to eat around the clock in a few short weeks. In the end I went with my heart and my heart has a huge section for shortbread at any time of year, especially at Christmas when Mum makes batch after batch to fill multiple cake tins and give away as family presents.
Also, I’ve been feeling like making all the things I find comforting lately and shortbread is one of those because it reminds me of my mum. Then one of the people who works in the same lab as me was trying to wind me up and mentioned shortbread split through the middle and filled with jam. Hey presto I had my idea. The result was all I could have asked for. Buttery crispness yields to melting delight at the merest bite. The sweet fruity filling seeps through the crumbling crust to release its brightly flavoured nectar onto the tongue, then a light dusting of sugar finishes the biscuit off. Rich but not too rich and perfect for dunking in tea – if the biscuit gets that far. You might have to grab another for the sole purpose of dunking.
I hope you enjoy these biscuits. If you like shortbread as much as I do then have a nosey around I’d Much Rather Bake Than… to see the other variations I have on their. You can also sign up for email updates from there or follow me on Twitter or visit me at my blog Facebook page. I’d love to hear from you. And a huge thank you to Stephanie for having me again this year.
ingredients
- 4 oz butter, softened
- 2 oz caster sugar
- 5 oz plain flour
- 1 oz fine semolina, cornflour or ground rice
- Strawberry jam
- Sugar for dusting (optional)
directions
- Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until well combined.
- Sift in the flour and semolina (or cornflour or ground rice) into the bowl and mix again until even and crumbly looking. Press together into a ball by hand.
- Set the oven to 170°C/150°C fan and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
- Roll the shortbread dough into balls (I got 24) and flatten to a disc of your preferred thickness. Alternatively, roll the dough out on a floured surface and use a cutter to cut out circles.
- Place the discs on the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins until they feel dry to the touch and are only very slightly golden. Remove from the oven and use a fish slice or similar to remove the biscuits to a cooling rack.
- When cool, sandwich the biscuits together in pairs using the jam. Be as generous as you wish, just remember the more jam, the more likely they are to slide apart! Dust with sugar to finish.
Check out the rest of the Cookie Recipe Advent Calendar here!
The content, recipe and all photos used in this blog post belong to Laura / I’d Much Rather Bake Than… and were used with her permission. Please do not reprint any of the content in this post without her express permission.
