Shortbread biscuits

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Put the flour and sugar into a bowl, rub in the butter as for shortcrust pastry.

3. Gather the mixture together and knead lightly. Roll out to 7mm (¼ inch) thick. Cut into rounds with a 6cm (2½ inch) cutter or into heart shapes.

4. Bake to a pale brown for 10-15 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack. Watch these biscuits really carefully in the oven. Because of the high sugar content they burn easily. They should be a pale golden - darker will be more bitter. However if they are too pale they will be undercooked and doughy. Cool on a wire rack.
   This recipe is from Jane at the Ballymaloe Cookery School