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Fortnum & Mason’s Never Fail Shortbread

downtonabbeycooks · June 20, 2018 ·

Shortbread is an easy traditional sweet treat to make. If you don’t have your own family recipe to fall back on, here is a great one inspired by Tea at Fortnum & Mason. Rice flour is the secret ingredient that gives the shortbread a nice crisp texture.
Take care not to overwork the dough, otherwise, the butter will become greasy and will give an oily finish to the biscuit.  Otherwise, this is a never-fail recipe.

Great for Gifting During the Holidays

Shortbread is great to have around at Christmas. I often will add a couple of fingers to my holiday food gift baskets.

 


Fortnum & Mason's Never Fail Shortbread

Fortnum & Mason
Shortbread is an easy holiday table treat. If you don't have your own family recipe to fall back on, here is a great one inspired by Tea at Fortnum & Mason. Rice flour is the secret ingredient that gives the shortbread a nice crisp texture.  Take care not to overwork the dough because the butter will become greasy and will give an oily finish to the biscuit.  Otherwise, this is a never-fail recipe.
5 from 8 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 3 minutes mins
Course Afternoon Tea
Cuisine Edwardian, English, Scottish, Victorian
Servings 14 fingers
Calories 119 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar* plus extra to sprinkle
  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
  • 3/4 cup rice flour
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 300 F.
  • Lightly butter a 8″ square pan.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the flour and rice flour and use a wooden spoon to work all the ingredients together to make a paste. Knead lightly.

Make Fingers

  • Press the mixture into the tin, using the back of a spoon to smooth down the surface. Use a table knife to draw a line down the middle vertically, then mark six lines across horizontally to make 14 fingers. Prick each one with a fork.
  • Bake for about 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and mark again. Return to the oven and continue to bake for 30 minutes until the mixture is set.
  • Mark into the 14 fingers again then sprinkle with a light dusting of sugar. Cool in the tin for about 30 minutes, the fingers should snap right off without cutting again. Carefully remove them from the pan.

Cut into Rounds

  • Alternatively you can roll out the dough and cut rounds and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake for 60 minutes.
  • Finish cooling the shortbread on a wire rack then store in an airtight container for up to three days.

Notes

*caster sugar is a super fine sugar.  If you don’t have any, you can make your own by putting sugar in a blender or food processor.

Nutrition

Serving: 10gCalories: 119kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 1mgPotassium: 9mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 304IUCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Afternoon Tea, Christmas Desserts, Fortnum and Mason
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Filed Under: Afternoon Tea, Christmas Desserts, Cookies, Hogmanay, Robert Burns Night, Sweets Tagged With: afternoon tea, Christmas Desserts, Downtown. Abbey recipes, English cuisine, Healthy recipes

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About me

I am Pamela Foster. Food historian. Wife. Downton and Gilded Age fan. Foodie.

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