Lemon Shortbread, Nice Slices!

I was so excited about baking for the first time in what must have been a couple of months, that these simple looking slices were going to feature on the first ever post to be blogged before I had even made the things! I managed to restrain myself for the few days it took for me to be let loose in the kitchen – but then I was so busy with holidays and such I never got to make that post after all…

So here it is! The awaited [by me] post featuring the delicious lemony shortbread slices, from my newest cookbook 😀 No wait, I’ve since got 3 cookbooks… Ah well, I haven’t yet tried a recipe from this particular one! [For those of you that are interested, ‘this particular one’ is namely: Quick and Easy Recipes, by Kate Fryer]

           

Ingredients [We made 28 fairly large fingers, as we adapted the original ingredients to fit our baking tray]

250g of butter at room temperature
The grated rind of 1 lemon
115g of caster cugar [plus a little to dredge before serving]
50g ground rice [which you can find beside the baking ingredients in Morrisons, not the rice!]

Instructions

1. Grease [or line with grease-proof paper, as we did] a 20 x 30cm deep oblong baking dish. Put all of your butter in a bowl, steadying it with a damp tea-towel placed underneath. Beat the butter until soft, using Cecilia Spoon.
2. Add your caster sugar to your grated lemon rind [which shouldn’t include any white pith!] Then beat this mixture into your butter, until all is light and fluffy.
3. Stir in your plain flour and fine ground rice using Cecilia Spoon, until the ingredients begin to stick together.
4. You have now made shortbread mixture! Tip it into the prepared tin & press into an even layer over the base, using floured fingers.
5. Prick the dough all over with a metal fork; the prongs should touch the bottom of the baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until pale golden brown.
6. Let the shortbread stand for 10 minutes before cutting into fingers, using a round-bladed knife. Let the fingers cool completely in the baking dish. Don’t forget to dredge with caster sugar before serving!

These were ever so yummy, and went in no time at all, despite there being so many!! This probably had a lot to do with me descending them upon anybody who entered the house, whether it be the sister’s boyfriend’s father, or the best friend and her mother 😉 I thought they tasted just as shortbread should, and that they defenitely would not be the same without the lemon – however, many commented that they were too sweet, so next time I suggest using less sugar. These go perfectly with ice-crem and summer fruits, as you can see below!!