Shortbread

Traditionally, Scottish shortbread is as thick as a brick with an uncanny knack of dehydrating your entire head after a single bite. I like mine a bit thinner and crisp, like these.

Ingredients:

10 oz icing sugar
14 oz very soft butter
seeds of 1 vanilla pod
18 oz plain flour
4 egg yolks

Method:

1. Place the butter, vanilla seeds and sugar in a food mixer and whisk until pale and fluffy.

2. Whisk in the egg yolks.

3. Add the flour and gently whisk until the mixture just comes together into a soft dough.

4. Wrap the dough in clingfilm, flatten slightly and chill for 1 hour.

5. Unwrap the dough. Lightly dust a work bench with icing sugar and roll out to no more than ¼cm thick. Cut into circles or fingers and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment.

6. Sprinkle very lightly with caster sugar and bake until just turning golden around the edges. Transfer to a cookie rack and cool.

There are many things you can flavour shortbread with. Try adding the finely grated zest of an orange or lemon, or a tspn of fruit powder (many different flavours are available from good delis) as you cream the butter and sugar.