Buttery shortbread biscuits dipped in chocolate make for the perfect afternoon snack.
Ingredients
175g (6 oz) butter
50g (2 oz) caster sugar
225g (8 oz) plain flour
Topping:
55g (2 oz) dark chocolate chips
55g (2oz) white chocolate chips
2 paper piping bags
Method
1. Cream the butter and sugar together and stir in the flour, Once combined, use your hand to pull the dough together into a ball. Roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin and cut into rounds or ovals, then place on a baking tray.
2. Cook for about 20 minutes until a light golden colour in the main oven on 180°C (350°F) Gas Mark 4.
3. Remove the shortbread from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before placing on to a cooling rack and allowing the shortbread to completely cool.
4. Put the dark chocolate chips into a piping bag, making sure the tip is well sealed. Repeat process with the white chocolate chips. Place the piping bags at the back of the Rayburn top plate to melt - this method means no need to melt the chocolate over a pan of hot water, the gentle warmth of the Rayburn does it all for you!
5. Snip off the points of the piping bags and decorate the shortbread biscuits with the melted chocolates.
Variations:
- For orange shortbread grate the rind of one orange into the creamed butter and sugar
- For lemon shortbread grate the rind of one lemon into the creamed butter and sugar
- For cinnamon shortbread add ½-1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the creamed butter and sugar
- For ginger shortbread add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger to the creamed butter and sugar. Decorate the top with pieces of crystallised or glace ginger